A sharply hit groundball to Miguel Cabrera at third during today’s Tigers-Phillies spring training game took a nasty hop up into his face. Cabrera was left bloodied and forced to exit the game.
We have video (via Guyism):
1.) Ouch. 2.) IN THE FACE.
Cabrera was taken to a nearby hospital where he would have stitches and precautionary x-rays.
Of course, this happens to Cabrera, who has been the subject of many discussions as to whether or not he can handle playing third base. Those who don’t take the time to watch the video will try to use this as an example as to why Cabrera should not being playing the hot corner. As Terry Francona astutely points out during the broadcast, this wasn’t an ordinary ground ball that a better third baseman would’ve been able to snare; it was a screaming, unpredictable grounder that probably nails every other third basemen in baseball and might even knock most of them on their ass.
In 58 innings at third base this spring, Cabrera has one error in 17 chances. He’s also hitting .433/.633/1.148, so there’s always that wood thing he can swing a bit to compensate for whatever he can’t do with the leather.
