Tigers' Martinez lands on DL with sore knee: 'We were seeing a shell of the hitter he is'

Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez was placed on the disabled list Tuesday after experiencing inflammation in his surgically repaired left knee.

Martinez, who's been slowed by discomfort in the knee all season, said he felt a pinch while attempting to beat out a double play during Monday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. He stayed in the game, but manager Brad Ausmus expressed concern regarding the health of his 36-year-old DH after the game.

"From the looks of things, I think we're going to have to at least talk about other options," Ausmus told reporters. "But we'll do that privately."

The injury is especially concerning for Martinez, given his history of knee problems. He missed six weeks of spring training after tearing his left meniscus in February, and was sidelined the entire 2012 season due to a torn ACL in the same knee.

The five-time All-Star has struggled through the start of the season. Coming off the best year of his career, Martinez entered Monday hitting .224/.317/.280 with one home run and three doubles in 33 games.

"We weren't seeing the same Victor Martinez," manager Brad Ausmus told reporters. "We were seeing a shell of the hitter he is."

The Tigers recalled outfielder Tyler Collins from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding roster move.