GM: Miguel Cabrera 'doing great'

ByABC News
December 10, 2013, 1:22 PM

— -- Miguel Cabrera, the two-time reigning American League MVP who had surgery in mid-November to repair core muscles damaged by a groin tear, will be 100 percent healthy by spring training, Detroit Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski told reporters Monday.

"He's doing great," Dombrowski told MLive.com at the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Cabrera, an eight-time All-Star, also missed several games during the second half of this past season because of a bad back, a sore left hip flexor, a strained lower abdomen and shin trouble.

Despite the injuries, Cabrera led the majors in hitting at .348 and was second to Baltimore's Chris Davis with 44 home runs and 137 RBIs.

Cabrera, who will move back to first base in 2014 after two seasons at third, will attempt to become the first player to win three consecutive AL MVP awards. He already is the first right-handed hitter to win three straight batting titles in either league since Rogers Hornsby won titles from 1920 to 1925.

"I hope the young players take it to heart -- you're never bigger than the team," new Tigers manager Brad Ausmus told the Detroit Free Press of Cabrera's willingness to change positions again. "You don't see that very often nowadays. ... That's a great lesson for a young player."

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.