DETROIT -- The Tigers will be playing a man down in Baltimore.

Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter is expected to miss the first two games in Baltimore so he can attend his children's high school graduations in Texas later this week.

Hunter will play both games in Pittsburgh before joining his wife, Katrina, in Texas late Wednesday. He will miss games Friday and Saturday before rejoining the team Sunday.

“This is just once in a lifetime,” Hunter

. “I hope people forgive me for it.”

His son, Torii Jr., committed in February to play football for Notre Dame. He has two other sons, Monshadrik and Darius McClinton-Hunter, who will reportedly play football at

and Southeastern Louisiana, respectively.

The Tigers will be shorthanded for both games. According to Major League Baseball's guidelines, they aren't able to deactivate Hunter and call up a player in his absence.

"That's just part of the equation anymore and it's certainly fine," manager Jim Leyland said. "I just think you roll with the punch. We'll get by."

The bereavement list may only be used when a player leaves the team to attend to a series illness or death in the immediate family.

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