Whenever the game’s best hitter goes down with an injury, panic is the natural reaction. Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera was scratched from the lineup on July 22, and has seen only nine at-bats since his return four days later. The first place Tigers, winners of 12 of their past 13 games, have been cautious with Cabrera, without indicating that they’d be missing their star for an extended period of time. Jim Leyland’s last-minute lineup changes, however, do not bode well with fantasy owners who rely on the slugger to rack up big numbers across all offensive categories. Just how worried should we be about Cabrera’s future through the month of August and beyond?

The fact that Cabrera has not gone on an official DL stint should be reason number one for optimism. What was initially called a hip flexor strain was later explained by Detroit head trainer Kevin Rand as an abdominal issue - one that affects the slugger more so on defense when charging ground balls. While not classified as severe, this kind of injury can become chronic and the healing process is delayed by the stresses of the season. Currently comprimised in the field and running the bases, the encouraging news is that the injury has not extended into Cabrera's hitting. Reportedly, he has put on a clinic in batting practice, hitting home runs to all fields, and those who had the chance to watch him prior to first pitch were likely surprised when his name wasn’t penciled in to the starting nine on Sunday. He did, however, single to lead off the 12th inning as a pinch hitter this afternoon, where he was immediately replaced by pinch runner Matt Tuiasosopo on the basepaths.

If reports are correct and Cabrera’s hitting has not been compromised by his abdominal strain, the surging Tigers may have to creatively rearrange their lineup to fit in the reigning American League MVP. With the Cleveland Indians only three games behind Detroit in the division, fantasy owners should feel optimistic that if Cabrera has not hit the disabled list yet, a move isn’t likely to come tomorrow. The giant third baseman’s numbers haven’t skipped a beat - even as he’s missed starts - so the issue is clearly playing time over production. With Jose Iglesias coming over from the Red Sox in the three-way swap for Jake Peavy, the Tigers have a healthy option at the hot corner if need be, and starting Cabrera at DH in the next few games may prove both an upgrade over Victor Martinez and an opportunity to get his bat back into big situations.