Tigers SS Iglesias injured before loss to Astros

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) Ill-fated Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias sustained yet another shin injury Sunday when he was hit by a hard shot during batting practice before Detroit lost 14-9 to a split squad of Houston Astros.

Iglesias was fielding grounders when he was a struck in the right shin by a ball off the bat of J.D. Martinez. He was helped off the field with a bruise and he was listed as day-to-day.

The 25-year-old Iglesias batted .303 for Boston and the Tigers in 2013, but missed all of last season because of stress fractures in both shins. He left an exhibition game Friday after bruising his right shin on a slide.

''I have been in baseball for 25 years and I don't think I have ever seen a guy get a ball off his shin in batting practice,'' Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. ''The odds of that are astronomical.''

Iglesias was hit in the same place where the fracture occurred last year. He said he might be able to play Monday against Toronto.

Iglesias said he is seriously considering wearing padding under his uniform over both his shins. He was in good spirits after hearing that X-rays were negative.

''I can't worry about it and I can't control it,'' he said. ''It already feels better and I'll see how it feels.''

''It's painful now and it's going to hurt for a couple of days, but I just have to be safe with it,'' he said.

Jake Marisnick drove in three runs and Jon Singleton hit two doubles as the Astros got 20 hits. It was quite a contrast from Houston's other split squad Sunday - the group that included major league batting champion Jose Altuve was held hitless in a 10-inning, 2-2 tie with Atlanta.

STARTING TIME

Dan Straily made his first start after being acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs. He allowed four hits and two runs in two innings.

''You kind of hope two zeros. Everybody does,'' he said. ''But coming out of it, I felt good throwing first-pitch strikes. I felt like my arm felt alive. Felt stride's better than a year ago. That's kind of what I was basing it off of.''

''I was happy with it. Clean up some of the location, it'll be just fine,?? he said. ''I threw everything but the curveball today.''

Tigers: Shane Greene made his Detroit debut after being acquired from the New York Yankees in the offseason. He allowed six hits and three runs in two innings, but said he wasn?t putting too much into the performance.

''I felt good,?? Greene said. ''It wasn?t like they were hitting the ball off the walls or anything. I?m throwing normal and just working on my pitches.??

TRAINER?S ROOM

Tigers: RHP Joakim Soria pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk. The reliever has a blister on the inside of his right thumb and is day-to-day.

UP NEXT

Astros: Collin McHugh will make his second start of the spring, facing Toronto on Monday. He went 11-9 for the Astros last season.

Tigers: Anibal Sanchez will start on Monday in a game against the split-squad Blue Jays.

ROUGH START

Tigers RHP Joba Chamberlain, who re-signed as a free agent after spending 2014 with Detroit, gave up three hits and a walk in his first inning of the spring. Ausmus said he was ''unconcerned.??