Detroit — Robbie Grossman was the Tigers’ iron man of 2021, tying Jonathan Schoop for most games played, 56 out of 162.
But Grossman on Wednesday was set to miss his first game of 2022, after suffering a groin injury in Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park.
“I’m sore today,” Grossman said in the Tigers’ clubhouse Wednesday morning, wearing a “Detroit Muscle” t-shirt. “The MRI was good, it didn’t show anything, so I’m happy about that.
“Just trying to get the tightness out. Just sore today.”
The Tigers on Wednesday didn’t have any immediate plans to place Grossman on the 10-day injured list, but if Grossman misses the next couple games, it’ll be an option.
“If that’s what it takes to kind of get past it, then we’ll consider it,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said in his weekly spot on 97.1 The Ticket on Wednesday morning. “For Robbie to pull himself out of the game, after being around him as long as I have, I knew it was something that was uncomfortable for him. Hopefully … we can just sort of treat day to day, symptomatically. Maybe get him a couple days off before we get him back in there.”
When he was asked about a possible IL stint, Grossman said, “See what happens today and go from there.”
If the Tigers have to use the IL, Daz Cameron and Willi Castro are callup options. Cameron is set to travel with Detroit for its series in Kansas City, just in case.
“The initial diagnosis is positive, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be available for the next few days,” Hinch said on 97.1. “We’ll have a contingency plan.”
Grossman suffered the injury running the bases in the fifth inning Tuesday. He was stealing a base and, not immediately nothing a popup, he slid into second base, before getting up and heading back to first, where he was doubled up. When he slid back into first, Grossman said, he felt the tightness. No pop, just tightness.
“It’s frustrating,” Grossman said. “But all I can do is think about the positive, that nothing shows up on the MRI.”
The starting outfield, in Grossman’s absence, for Wednesday’s series finale against the Red Sox included Austin Meadows in left field, Akil Baddoo in center field and Victor Reyes in right field.
Reyes was set to lead off in Grossman’s absence Wednesday (assuming a game is played; the weather looks dicey), though that’s not a long-term solution.
“I like the left-handed swing that I’ve seen in the last couple weeks,” Hinch said on 97.1, speaking of Reyes. “I don’t think we’ll have a consistent, everyday leadoff-type hitter.”
Grossman is off to a slow start through five games, with a slash line of .067/.167/.243. He has one hit and one walk in 17 plate appearances.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tonypaul1984