The Detroit Tigers couldn't have asked for a better prognosis following Victor Martinez's left knee surgery.
Martinez went under the knife to repair a torn meniscus on Tuesday and the timeline for his return is four to six weeks, which is on the quick side of the expected recovery times for the procedure he underwent. The 36-year-old designated hitter needed the surgery after injuring his knee during his offseason workout program earlier this month.
"We are very happy the surgery went well and that Victor will be ready to compete for the start of the 2015 season," said general manager Dave Dombrowski.
"Probably as good of news as I could've hoped for," added manager Brad Ausmus.
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With Miguel Cabrera's availability to start the season already in doubt, having a healthy Martinez on opening day, April 6 at Comerica Park against the Twins, would certainly be a boost for the Tigers. According to the Detroit News, the team would like Martinez to get "at least a couple weeks worth of spring-training at-bats."
However, if Martinez takes slightly longer than expected to get back on the field, the Tigers are going to play it safe and have him spend more time working out in Florida before inserting him in the lineup. It's the prudent move after they signed him to a four-year, $68 million contract just a few short months ago.
The Tigers may seem more vulnerable in the AL Central after losing Max Scherzer in free agency. The way they're handling Martinez and Cabrera's injuries shows they're aware that the margin for error has thinned considerably. In the long-term, trading a few games in April for the potential of a few in October is an easy decision to make.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr