Not that he'd ever change the result, but Javier Baez probably wants a do-over on the conclusion to Opening Day. Then the Tigers shortstop might be in the lineup Friday night in Kansas City.
Instead, Baez will miss his third straight game with a bruised right thumb that flared up during an at-bat this week against the Red Sox. Baez told reporters Friday he originally injured the thumb when he jammed it in the celebration following his walk-off hit against the White Sox on Opening Day.
The Tigers mobbed Baez on the infield grass after he drove home Austin Meadows with a shot off the right-field wall.
Good news is, X-rays have confirmed nothing is broken. But until the swelling goes down, Baez will have to watch from the bench. He intended to return to action Thursday against the Royals, but Hinch took him out of the lineup when Baez said he felt uncomfortable in batting practice.
“There’s really nothing you can do other than ice and rest a little bit," Hinch said after the Tigers' 4-2 win in Kansas City. "We’ll see if he can take some inside BP and get him better and maybe aim for Saturday.”
Baez was 6-19 with four RBI and two game-winning hits in his first five games with the Tigers after signing with the team for $140 million this offseason.