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Miguel Cabrera reportedly says he and Justin Verlander are not 100 percent

By Matt Pelc

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Jul 15, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; American League infielder Miguel Cabrera (24) of the Detroit Tigers hits a two-run home run in the first inning during the 2014 MLB All Star Game at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Tigers are often reluctant to talk about player injuries. They won’t speculate on them when they first occur, they are not overly communicative during recovery times, and they are tight-lipped about the lingering effects of said injury.

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    • This is normal. Nearly every sports team in America is this way. They don’t want to publicly exploit a possible weakness for their competitors and they don’t want to build unrealistic expectations for fans. Yet sometimes, it is the player that blows the whistle.

    OR DID HE???

    This was the case Monday afternoon, before the events leading up to the 85th Annual MLB All-Star Game, when Miguel Cabrera reported that he is still feeling the lingering effects of surgery that repaired a torn groin.

    Speaking with a reporter from USA Today, Cabrera spoke in Spanish. It was translated to:

    "“There are times when I feel good, but there are always muscles that are tightening, muscles that are not functioning properly. It’s part of the process.”"

    He went on to talk about his teammate who is also coming off surgery.

    "“The same thing happened to Justin Verlander, but the difference is he pitches every five days, so you don’t see it as frequently.”"

    When the story took off on Tuesday, Cabrera denied making those statements, saying he avoids talking with the media in most instances because he is often misquoted.

    I don’t think there is any doubt that Miggy was still recovering in Spring Training and the first month of the season. His numbers showed that. Since then, Miguel Cabrera has been the Miggy we know and love, for the most part.

    His power has been cut in half (he had 30 HR at the break last year, 14 this year), but he’s still contributing, getting RBIs and extra base hits. In fact, his 34 doubles puts him on pace for 60 doubles, which would be the first time that many two-baggers have been hit since 1936.

    “There are times when I feel good, but there are always muscles that are tightening, muscles that are not functioning properly.” -Miguel Cabrera

    I think many of us have suspected that Verlander is not fully recovered due to his sub-standard year thus far. The Tigers and Verlander did not comment on the story. J.V. was likely unavailable for comment as reports have him enjoying his first All-Star Game-less All-Star break since 2008 by vacationing with his girlfriend, Kate Upton, in Mexico.

    Miggy, who just missed out on a home run in Kansas City on Sunday, reached the seats with a home run in the first inning of the MLB All-Star Game, becoming the first Tiger to hit a homer in the Mid-Summer Classic since Lou Whitaker went yard in 1986.

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