Miguel Cabrera, the Detroit Tigers' six-time All-Star and 2011 batting champion, left Monday's spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies after taking a hard ground ball to the face in the first inning.

Cabrera was attended to by coaches and a trainer before making his way off the field as blood poured from his cheek onto his jersey after the one-hopper appeared to take a bad bounce.

He was taken to a hospital to receive stitches and get precautionary X-rays.

The third baseman was injured ranging to his left at Bright House Field in

Clearwater, Fla., as he attempted to make a play on a hard-hit ball off the bat of Philadelphia's Hunter Pence.

Some of Cabrera's teammates told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney that the lacerations to the right side of Cabrera's face were likely caused by his sunglasses, and replays showed the grounder appeared to bounce off one of the bright-orange lenses of his shades.

Cabrera wiped blood off with his hand and held a towel to his face as he walked off the field.

Cabrera is making the transition back to third base this spring because Detroit signed first baseman Prince Fielder.

Cabrera, a career .317 hitter over nine seasons with the Tigers and Marlins, led the major leagues last year with a .344 average and had 30 home runs with 105 RBIs.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.