Miguel Cabrera plans to play through ankle injury

The Detroit Tigers are in a tightly contested battle with the Kansas City Royals for first place in the American League Central. As they stare down the closing stretch of the 2014 season, they will have to do so with a hampered Miguel Cabrera.

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The three-time batting champion and former Triple Crown winner was forced to exit the team’s game on Saturday night with an ankle injury. He is now dealing with that issue in addition to an issue with his midsection that has lingered dating back to last season.

Even with this ankle injury, Cabrera plans to play through and play on as the Tigers try to return to the postseason.

George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press spoke with manager Brad Ausmus, who said the following:

"“I said to him, if we think it’s necessary we can do this,” Ausmus said. “He kind of balked at that. Miggy wants to play. He’s kind of old-school in that sense.”"

While Cabrera’s ability to play through injuries is admirable, it continues to sap his production. Anybody who watched last year’s playoffs can recall how he simply did not look like himself. Now this season, he has seen his power all but disappear and his average dip below the .300 mark.

It’s still impressive production by the standard of normal big league hitters, but far below the lofty standard Cabrera has set over the years.

Cabrera is batting .252 in August. In July and August he has only hit three home runs total. He is clearly not the same hitter, but the Tigers will take their chances that he can play through injury and start to look like himself as the calendar flips to September.

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