Kansas City, Mo. — There is no gray area on this for Miguel Cabrera.
"I want to play," he said before the game Tuesday. "Right now, if it's up to me, I would play tonight."
That's not happening, but manager Brad Ausmus has left the door open for Cabrera to return as early as Friday in Houston.
"Houston is a possibility," Ausmus said. "But I am not saying it's 100 percent."
Cabrera took live batting practice on the field before the game, tracking pitches from left-hander Tom Gorzelanny. He tracked about 15 pitches and swung at only a handful.