Victor Martinez suffers mild hamstring strain

Coming off the self-proclaimed worst year of his career, Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez's spring took a sour turn Monday.

While rounding first base following a fifth-inning single, Martinez grabbed his left leg and was removed for a pinch runner. He was able to walk back to the dugout under his own power and was diagnosed with a mild left hamstring strain. After the game, Martinez told reporters that he'll sit out tomorrow's game, assess how it's feeling, and "work from there."

Martinez was limited to 120 games last season with discomfort in his surgically repaired left knee. He also missed six weeks of spring training last year after tearing his left meniscus and was sidelined for the entire 2012 season with a torn ACL in the same knee.

Manager Brad Ausmus noted earlier this month that Martinez looks noticeably stronger this spring and has seen improved results at the plate. Entering Monday's game, the 37-year-old was hitting .308/.333/.577 with two home runs in nine games.