Seidel: V-Mart's return to Tigers move in right direction

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The sun came out and burned off the morning fog. Tigers fans came out of hibernation — or maybe, they just started to thaw out — and spread out blankets on the berm beyond the leftfield fence in Joker Marchant Stadium.

And the Tigers started the exhibition season with a 12-2 victory over Florida Southern, an annual game that offers hope that spring is almost here.

But the game was secondary Monday. The two most significant developments happened before the first pitch.

Miguel Cabrera took batting practice on the field and looked good, maybe not Triple Crown good, but as good as can be expected after ankle surgery.

And Victor Martinez passed another step in his rehabilitation from knee surgery. Granted, it was a weightless step, in this age of antigravity treadmills, but it was significant because the Tigers are hoping he can return by Opening Day.

Martinez ran on a weightless treadmill Monday and he also worked in the batting cage. He hit off a tee, taking 30 swings from both sides of the plate.

Both were positive signs, although just to have Martinez back in the clubhouse is a move in the right direction.

Manager Brad Ausmus did not talk to Martinez after his run, which was presumably good news. If there were any setbacks or issues, it is reasonable to assume that Ausmus would have been alerted instantly.

"Victor is here?" Jose Iglesias asked and then he let out a smirk. "No. He's the leader of the ship. He is just a great teammate. I'm really happy he's getting better. He came in and got his work done. He's a pro. He knows what he needs to get back on the field. And he will. Everybody is important, but we need Vic. He is special to have."

Martinez tore the medial meniscus in his knee in late January and had surgery to remove the cartilage Feb.10. He is expected to be out 4-6 weeks.

Cabrera, meanwhile, took batting practice before the game, a planned activity that was right on schedule. He sprayed the ball around the field, although it did not appear that he was trying to hit for power. After one session, he did a little dance; and when Miggy is feeling good, everybody is feeling good.

"He looked good," Ausmus said, presumably about the swings, not the dance.

So much of this season hinges on Martinez and Cabrera recovering from injury.

But the tricky part is letting them recover at the right pace.

"Victor only knows one speed, and that usually involves hitting in the cage for hours," Ausmus said. "We have to make sure that doesn't happen too quickly."

Martinez is crucial for the Tigers. First and foremost, he protects Cabrera in the batting order and drives in runs. Martinez has had more than 100 RBIs in two of the last three seasons.

But he also has a profound influence on the younger players. Last year, Steven Moya was called up to the Tigers in September. Moya had just turned 23, and he is still at a young, impressionable age.

"I spent a lot of time studying him," Moya said. "He is patient, focused and disciplined at the plate. There are a lot of things you can learn from him, even outside the field. And he's a hard worker. He does everything he can before the game to be ready."

Last spring, Martinez also met with Tigers prospect Daniel Fields. They sat in a batting cage at Comerica Park, talking about how he approaches batting practice.

"He was talking about his effort level in the cage," Fields said. "He's not swinging 100% and trying to crush the ball. He tones it down in the cage. He is trying to work on his form. You try to do the same thing over and over again. Eventually, when you come to the game, you are going to keep the same path when it comes to the game."

Cabrera and Martinez are also linked in how the Tigers approach the first week of the season.

If Cabrera is unable to play first base at the start of the season, Martinez could slide into that spot on defense, assuming, of course, that he is fully recovered.

But that will be worked out over the next several weeks. This day was important because the Tigers got a little closer to having both of them back.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com . Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff.