Tigers' J.D. Martinez (foot) nearing rehab assignment

Detroit Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez (foot) "should be playing in games in the next few days," general manager Al Avila told MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.

What It Means:

"He's not too far away from coming back," Avila added. Martinez apparently looked good Wednesday in his first live pitching session since suffering a Lisfranc sprain in his right foot. He'll serve as the designated hitter for the first few minor league rehab games, but the real test will be how he fares running the bases and tracking down balls in the outfield. Martinez should make his 2017 debut no later than early May.

The 29-year-old outfielder is currently projected for a .283 batting average, 28 home runs, 81 runs scored and 90 RBI's this season, according to numberFire's algorithms.