Tigers may be without Cabrera once again vs. Rays (Apr 30, 2018)

DETROIT -- The Tigers hope slugger Miguel Cabrera can return to the lineup Tuesday night but a Wednesday afternoon comeback seems more likely.

Cabrera was taken out of Sunday's game in the fifth inning with left biceps spasms, which he reported Monday were much better.

But a return Wednesday might have been indicated when manager Ron Gardenhire declined to use Cabrera as a pinch-hitter Monday night while Detroit was scoring twice in the ninth inning of a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay.

"He might miss a game or two," Gardenhire said prior to Monday night's game.

Detroit learned left-hander Daniel Norris, who lasted just 2 1/3 innings Sunday due to a bad left groin, will miss the next 8-12 weeks with groin surgery scheduled for Thursday. The groin has bothered him for more than a year.

"It's not really what I envisioned going into this year," Norris said, "but I know it's going to make me right. I have a lot of peace about it, just because I think that this is the right decision. I know it's the right decision, and I'll go through the rehab and get back to being my normal self."

Norris was placed on the 10-day disabled list -- and could be shifted to the 60-day list to open a roster spot at some point -- so Detroit could call up left-hander Chad Bell to handle long relief duties out of the bullpen. Norris had been spot starting and relieving.

Bell noted this year he's living halfway between Toledo, where the Tigers' Triple-A team is located, and Detroit.

"I'm 30 minutes away from both places," he said. "So, no moving all year, no matter what."

Tampa Bay got a terrific pitching performance from right-hander Jake Faria, who pitched eight innings of shutout, three-hit ball with one walk and six strikeouts.

Faria has been reunited with his minor league pitching coach, Kyle Snyder, this year and has adopted the same workout routine between starts.

"Just going back to what me and Kyle did last year, doing those things that are really comfortable and have proven to have results in the past, it's big," Faria said. "It helps the confidence, too, just knowing I've done this before and it's worked. So as long as I go out and continue to do these things, I'll be fine.

"Just (need) to keep building off the last few (starts)," Faria said. "Even though the last one wasn't ideal, I still felt really good. Just keep building off (games against) Philly and Texas and the last one, just keep moving in the right direction."

Right-hander Chris Archer (2-1, 3.13 ERA) will pitch Tuesday for Tampa Bay against a Detroit team he doesn't face very often because they're in different divisions. Archer was 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA in two starts against the Tigers last season and is 2-2 with a 3.55 ERA in eight career starts against them.

Detroit will have left-hander Matthew Boyd (1-3, 3.60 ERA) taking the mound. Boyd didn't face Tampa Bay last season and this will be just his second career start against the Rays. He didn't get a decision in his only career start against them.

Tampa Bay may have catcher Wilson Ramos (groin) back in the lineup Tuesday, which manager Kevin Cash indicated was the case.

Cash had Daniel Robertson in the lineup at shortstop and said he is earning some regular playing time to give regular Adeiny Hechavarria a break.