Major League Baseball

Relieved Martinez happy to be in Lakeland, return for start of season

Published Mar. 3, 2015 11:22 a.m. ET

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LAKELAND, Fla. -- It was an innocent game of catch but it could have been disastrous for Victor Martinez and the Tigers.

Martinez said he wasn't doing anything much, just playing catch with his brother in the street in front of his Orlando home.

"When I plant, (makes pop noise), went straight to the ground," said Martinez, looking healthy as he sat on a bench outside the clubhouse Tuesday morning.

Martinez said his surgically repaired left leg just gave out.

"I was really scared, I'm not gonna lie," Martinez said. "The first thing I had in my head was not again, not again, not again."

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he wasn't worried until he talked to Martinez right after it happened.

"When I spoke to him I could tell right away that it was more serious than what the first report I received was," Ausmus said. "In my mind I'm immediately imagining our lineup without his bat. It's a significantly weaker lineup, especially with the fact that he's a switch-hitter and largely a left-handed bat in a lineup with a lot of right-handed bats."

Martinez and the Tigers didn't really know how bad it was going to be until Dr. James Andrews performed surgery on Feb. 10.

"When I woke up it could have been six months or six weeks," Martinez said. "So the good thing when I woke up, he told me I'd be ready to go six weeks."

The other fortunate thing Dr. Andrews found was that Martinez's previous surgery -- a microfracture surgery and medial and lateral meniscus repair in 2012 -- which was also performed on his left knee, looked great.

"They just cleaned the meniscus out and I was out of crutches in 3-4 days," Martinez said. "I'm not a very good friend of the crutches. The first time I was on crutches almost four months. Like I said, it's not fun but I'm just glad to start getting some baseball activity and be back with the team."

Martinez said he's now three weeks out from surgery and everything remains on track for him to be ready for the start of the regular season.

"Hopefully everything stays nice and smooth," Martinez said.

Martinez joked that perhaps he needed to just stay on the couch in the offseason.

"I might show up next three-four years, 30 or 20 pounds overweight. But healthy," Martinez said. "This is the second time. Like I say, man, it's not fun. You're working really hard in the offseason just because you want to play 162-plus games and that's the only way you can be durable and perform the way you perform."

Martinez, who was doing his rehabilitation work near his Orlando home, has now moved his training to Lakeland.

On Monday, Martinez ran on the AlterG anti-gravity treadmill and took 25 swings off the tee from each side.

He also took a few soft tosses.

Ausmus said the plan is to increase by five swings a day on each side. 

After that?

"Hitting on the field," Ausmus said. "Right now he's just going to be in the cage, soft tossing, tee work and the next step will be batting practice in the field."

The concern is that Martinez will try to push himself too hard, too soon.

"I was supervised by the doc, the trainer, but if he wasn't there I might probably take 50 and 50 (swings)," Martinez admitted. "That's why I don't like when I'm in this situation. I just don't like to be around because it's just your nature."

But Martinez is happy to be around his teammates and they're thrilled to have him back.

"He's as important to our team now as (Miguel) Cabrera is," Alex Avila said. "I think if you look at it, Cabrera's not Cabrera without Victor, Victor's not Victor without Cabrera. So they go well together."

The Tigers might not be the favorites to win their division or the American League this year but with Martinez, they have a chance, which is all he wants.

"My only worry was that hopefully I didn't get an injury that cost me another year," Martinez said. "I just want to be healthy and part of this great ride, because this is going to be a great ride. We still have great talent. I just want to be part of it."

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