Nomar Mazara played in each of the Tigers' first 12 games this season. He'll miss the next several.
The Tigers placed Mazara on the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a left abdominal strain. The slugger suffered the injury on a swing in the fourth inning of Wednesday's win over the Astros and the Tigers immediately lifted him from the game.
"He just said he felt something in that area," A.J. Hinch said Wednesday night. "It's an immediate removal. We're not going to let him take another swing when he reports that."
Mazara, who signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal with the Tigers this offseason, had two homers and five RBI through 12 games. He joins Miguel Cabrera and Julio Teheran on the injured list. His absence will likely mean more playing time for Victor Reyes in right field.
It will also mean another chance for Joe Jimenez in Detroit. The Tigers recalled Jimenez from the taxi squad to take Mazara's spot on the roster.
Jimenez arrived in camp this spring hoping to reclaim his job as closer, but failed to make the team after struggling to get outs. The Tigers sent him to Toledo with the message they expect more out of the 2018 All-Star than he's shown the past couple seasons.
"It was a tough conversation," said GM Al Avila. "We feel Joe is a big league pitcher. However, what we told him is, 'Yeah, you could have made the club as maybe the 13th pitcher on the staff, but that’s not what we’re looking for. We’re looking for more than that.' He’s capable of it and that’s what we’re going to try to get out of him.
"So while it was a tough conversation and obviously he didn’t enjoy it, we didn’t enjoy it, we do expect him to work hard and come back and be the pitcher that we know he can be."
Here's his next chance to prove it.