Chris McCosky

The Detroit News

Lakeland, Fla. – You wouldn't think the folks in Asheville, N.C., would have to worry much about the perils of black ice.

Tigers center fielder Cameron Maybin certainly wasn’t thinking about it when he was carrying his young son up his porch steps two days before he was to leave for spring training.

“Two days before I was coming here – that’s the crazy thing,” Maybin said. “I was carrying my kid up the porch and slipped.”

He was carrying his son – who was just released from the hospital after having his tonsils and adenoids removed – in his left arm. He tried to break his fall with his right. It slipped and his weight fell on his right shoulder as he rolled to protect his son.

“The only thing I worried about was protecting my son,” Maybin said. “I was not worrying about myself at the time. But, man, two days before I leave out? I had felt great all offseason and that happened?”

Maybin hasn’t been listed on the team’s daily medical report, but it became obvious something was up when he didn’t start Tuesday against Pirates left-hander Kyle Lobstein.

The right shoulder has remained too sore to throw.

“He has no trouble swinging,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “He will DH in one of the games (Wednesday). He’s thrown, he’s gotten loose, but we haven’t had him out there throwing to bases or anything. Yesterday he said was the best his arm has felt.”

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Maybin said at this point he’s just being cautious.

“It’s progressing, and that’s the important thing,” he said. “I threw two to three days in a row from 120 feet, just stretching it out to make sure I can hit the cutoff man if I need to. But I am going to make sure I’m good and ready. It’s a long year.

“I’ve always been the first guy to play through something and make it worse. I've been doing it for years. The older you get, it’s better to be a little smarter.”

It was a testament to Maybin’s athleticism that he was able to keep his son from hitting the ground.

“At the end of the day, that’s all I cared about,” he said.

Wynton Bernard got the start in center Tuesday and made a run-saving diving catch.