Detroit Tigers links: Victor Martinez will be fine. Probably. Maybe.

Tigers DH Victor Martinez hurt his hamstring while running out a single last Monday. This won't have much of an affect on Opening Day. Probably.

Manager Brad Ausmus was asked about the possibility Martinez wouldn't be ready to start the year with the team when the team faces the Marlins two weeks and one day from now (via MLive's Chris Iott).

"Is there any possibility?," Ausmus said, then flipped the sarcasm switch on. "Of course there is. There's a possibility that everyone in camp might not be ready. (But) I wouldn't say it's trending that way."

When pressed further on the question, Ausmus did leave open the chance that Martinez might not be ready.

"It's a possibility," he said.

Well, that's helpful, Brad.

We could be forgiven for being a little bit hesitant to take an injury report on Victor Martinez -- OK, on any Tiger -- at its face value. The nature of injuries, and the nature of the way the team talks about them, doesn't exactly give a lot of confidence. Recovery is always just around the corner, to hear the organization talk about it. The truth is often further out.

As for Martinez, he may start a little soft toss or swing a bat, per Iott's report. But if he's not ready to open the year in the Tigers' lineup, at least Detroit opens the season in a National League park against the Marlins and doesn't have its own home opener until April 8 anyway. So it's probably not that big of a deal.

Probably.

Cameron Maybin will open the season on the DL

OK, so this one's "probably" as well. Brad Ausmus isn't ready to say Maybin *will* open 2016 on the disabled list. But the most recent round of X-rays shows he's not able to resume baseball activities yet after having his wrist fractured by an errant pitch.

The Tigers will "probably leave him in warm weather," per Chris McCosky of the News.

Ausmus isn't ready to commit to who might make the roster in Maybin's absence. It could open the door to an extra utility player like Andrew Romine, or minor league outfielder Wynton Bernard. Another possibility is left fielder Tyler Collins. Ausmus has put him in center field, where Collins may not shine but has at least looked serviceable. That would seem the most likely outcome right now.

The Marlins' Opening Day starter might surprise you!

Thought the Marlins will have their best pitcher start their first game of the year against the Tigers? Think again! The Marlins named Wei-Yin Chen their Opening Day starter rather than Jose Fernandez.

Manager Don Mattingly made the decision in order to rest Fernandez a little more throughout the year, according to the Miami Herald.

The left-handed Chen had a 3.34 ERA with the Orioles last season.

1984 never ends

Shawn Windsor of the Free Press wrote that the friendship between 1984 greats Alan Trammell and Kirk Gibson -- now special assistant to the GM and a Fox Sports analyst, respectively -- exists to this day. It's a good read.

Alan Trammell ran into a tree last winter. He was riding a snowmobile. Kirk Gibson thought it was funny.

Well, maybe not the accident, but the recounting of it, as he sat outside the clubhouse last week at Joker Marchant Stadium.

"Sometimes I think he just does it for the attention," said Gibson, who was behind his old friend that day on the trails in the Upper Peninsula.

The Astros need a backup catcher

Astros manager A.J. Hinch said the competition for backup catcher for his team is "wide open" and the club is also exploring outside options, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Can anyone think of a backup catcher, maybe one out of options, possibly one from Texas, in need of a club because his path is essentially blocked?

Oh, yes, Bryan Holaday! That is, if the Tigers don't find a way to keep three catchers instead, or just try to sneak him through on waivers.

Around baseball

• The White Sox continue to be a mess.
• So Over The Monster is trying to trade for Chris Sale already.
• Old friend alert: Jacob Turner's role with the White Sox is TDB but he may make the team as a reliever.
• What to believe about the Indians' spring training
• A Brewers minor league outfielder was hospitalized after being hit in the face by a pitch. Scary.

And finally ...