Tigers' Cabrera: 'I don't think about my ankle'

It would be hard to find a player more excited to have a ball hit to him this spring than Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera was Wednesday. 

The nine-time All-Star appeared in the field for the first time in 2015 after undergoing offseason ankle surgery and his performance was met with glowing reviews. 

"I feel very good," Cabrera told reporters. "I'm glad to be back at first and try to get in the rhythm, try to get in baseball shape. I was so happy to be out there at first base and try to play defense."

Cabrera put his ankle to the test in the first inning, making a diving play to his right before tossing the ball over to first to record the out. 

"I liked it when he got up and smiled," manager Brad Ausmus said. "He's a very important part of the team. You don't want to lose him coming off of a major surgery. So I was concerned. But when he came up smiling, I was relieved."

While almost everyone else worried about how his ankle would hold up during game action, Cabrera acknowledged that was the last thing on his mind. 

"I try to make plays, and to make that play in that situation, I don't think about my ankle, my feet," Cabrera said. "Right now I'm focused on (trying to) go out there and play."