Tigers put slumping Cabrera on injured list

Miguel Cabrera’s sweet, powerful swing hasn’t been the same this season.

Now it’s clear why.

Cabrera has been dealing with soreness in his left biceps, and the Tigers decided to put the All-Star slugger on the 10-day injured list Sunday to undergo testing and find out exactly what’s wrong with one of baseball’s best hitters.

Cabrera, who is closing in on 500 career home runs and other milestones, played first base in Saturday’s 11-3 loss to the Indians. He went 0 for 3 at the plate, and manager A.J. Hinch said Cabrera felt his biceps “grab” during an at-bat in the seventh inning.

Hinch could tell Cabrera was altering his swing — he isn’t releasing one hand on his follow-through — and felt it was time to shut him down before the injury worsened.

“I told him after the game I don’t want him to keep fighting it and get it checked out and put him on the injured list to make sure we nip this pretty early,” Hinch said.

The two-time AL MVP was to undergo further evaluation and tests Sunday in Cleveland. The Tigers will consult with their doctors in Detroit. At this point, Hinch said the plan is for Cabrera to remain with the team on the road and travel to Houston.

A four-time batting champion, the 37-year-old Cabrera is off to a slow start in 2021. He is batting just .125 (3 for 24) with one homer and three RBI in seven games.

Hinch is understandably concerned about Cabrera’s injury, but he’s not going to react until the team gets more information.

“I don’t like that he altered his swing in order to compensate for it,” Hinch said.