Back injury sidelines Miggy

Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera said he’s feeling better after suffering a back injury while playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.

Cabrera didn’t play for the Tigers yesterday and wasn’t on the travel roster for today’s game against the Atlanta Braves in Kissimmee, Fla.

Cabrera said he’s receiving daily treatment on his back.

“I hurt my back the first game in Mexico,” Cabrera told the Detroit Free Press yesterday. “Out there, long game, and I felt a pop in the right side.” He pointed to his lower lat. “After that, it affected more toward my left side,” Cabrera said. “That’s where I feel it more.”

Cabrera said he’ll play again when he’s ready, but was unsure if he would be ready for Opening Day on April 3 if he doesn’t play again this spring.

M’s switch at first

The Seattle Mariners made the surprising move to option first baseman Daniel Vogelbach to Triple-A Tacoma, meaning Danny Valencia will be the everyday first baseman when the regular season begins.

Vogelbach, a left-handed hitter, and Valencia, who bats right-handed, had been expected to split time at first depending on pitching matchups. But Vogelbach has struggled in spring training, hitting just .228 and will now start the season in the minors.

Valencia, another offseason acquisition by Seattle, hit .275 against right-handed pitching last season with Oakland.

Greinke looks good

Zack Greinke has one more spring start before he embarks on what he hopes is a bounce-back season for him and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In an outing he described as “solid,” the right-hander went five innings plus two batters against the reigning World Series champion Chicago Cubs, allowing three runs and six hits with four strikeouts and one walk.

His biggest mistake came against pitcher Jake Arrieta, who homered on a 1-2 pitch in the third inning for the Cubs’ first run. The blast was measured at 465 feet, the longest homer by a pitcher in the Statcast era.

Greinke threw 83 pitches, 55 for strikes, in a game that ended in a 5-5 tie.

Elsewhere yesterday, Adam Wainwright went four innings and gave up three runs — one earned — on five hits and a walk, and added an RBI single as the Cardinals beat the Marlins, 5-3.

Jose Quintana, in his first start back from the World Baseball Classic, didn’t allow a hit until the sixth and finished with three strikeouts in seven innings as the White Sox beat the Reds, 4-2. — HERALD WIRE SERVICES