Alex Avila makes outstanding catch diving into stands

With Miguel Cabrera expected to miss six weeks with a Grade 3 strain of his left calf, the Detroit Tigers are losing an irreplaceable piece of their offense.

With that in mind, we're certain the veteran first baseman would have never even attempted making the catch his replacement Alex Avila pulled off on Saturday afternoon.

Typically the Tigers' starting catcher, Avila was making his first career start at first base in Cabrera's absence. It's a role he's expected to fill at least semi-regularly while Cabrera heals, and he made a great first impression with an outstanding catch while tumbling into the first row of seats down the right-field line at Comerica Field.

It wasn't the most convenient place in the ballpark to made such an attempt, either. Though the ball sailed beyond the Tigers first base dugout and beyond the tarp, Avila had to deal with some signage. Avila actually appeared to clip his right knee on the sign, which made his concentration and ability to hold on even more impressive.

It wasn't Josh Donaldson or Nolan Arenado good by any means. Both of those players literally launched themselves toward the stands with little regard for their health or well-being. Still, it was plenty good, and we're sure there were a few people in the Tigers dugout holding their breath as Avila neared and then impacted the wall.

Avila has only been back with the team for two days after spending nearly two months on the disabled list. Avila had been dealing with continued soreness in his left knee, which the team initially feared would sideline him for the rest of the season. The fact that his right knee clipped the sign had to be of some relief, but we're guessing the Tigers would prefer he avoid any type of contact with his knees.

Avila has also dealt with concussion issues, making the fall into the stands a bit scarier.

The Tigers probably figure playing Avila more at first base than catcher for the foreseeable future should keep him healthier, but efforts like Saturday's could cast some doubt on that.

As it turns out, Avila was able to walk away here no worse for the wear. The Tigers are also 1-0 without Miguel Cabrera, as they cruised to an 8-3 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813