RADIO
Two time AL MVP Miguel Cabrera is set to have a CT scan of his ankle in February. Cabrera underwent surgery last October to remove bone spurs from his right ankle and repair a stress fracture in his foot. The visit next month to Dr. Robert Anderson, an Orthopedic Surgeon in North Carolina, should provide us with a clearer update on his recovery from surgery.
Cabrera, 31, will not be ready for the beginning stages of spring training, and his Opening Day status is in question right now. Kevin Rand, the Tigers’ head athletic trainer, had this to say about Cabrera’s recovery:
His rehab has gone well. He's in a partial weight-bearing stage, six weeks in a boot, which began just before Christmas. He'll got back and see Dr. Anderson next month and hope the CT scan will show that everything's well and that he can move into a full weight-bearing program."
The Tigers are obviously going to be playing it safe with their super-star hitter, and would be more than willing to sacrifice his first week or two of the 2015 season to ensure he is 100% going forward. As for prospective fantasy owners, you shouldn’t be too deterred by this update. Most leagues will draft after his doctor’s visit, and assuming all is well, Cabrera should be back to his old self when he does eventually take the field in April.
In Rotoballer’s first base rankings, I had Cabrera ranked behind Paul Goldschmidt and Jose Abreu. Despite the possibility of Miggy being out early, I would still take Cabrera over guys like Edwin Encarnacion or Victor Martinez. While playing with his injuries throughout September, Cabrera hit .379 with 8 HR with a 1.118 OPS. Once he is healthy, he should erase the doubters that question if he is on the decline heading into 2015.
