Slimmer slugger: Miguel Cabrera's diet draws notice and quips at Tigers' camp

A low-carb diet loaded with vegetables works as Miguel Cabrera intended.

The Tigers' veteran worked his butt and gut off during the offseason, Jeff Seidel of the Freep observes from Lakeland, Fla. Miggy also lost "the chubbiness around his face," the sportswriter adds.

Cabrera looks as if he had lost about 25 pounds when he showed up at the Detroit Tigers' clubhouse Monday morning. His face was noticeably thinner, and a compression shirt hung loose over a significantly smaller gut.

"When I hugged him, I actually reached around him," Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said and laughed. "Sorry."

Cabrera, who had a disappointing 2019 season, had exceeded his officially listed weight of 249 pounds. He indicated Monday that he's at or near 240 now. (He's six feet, four inches tall.)

Here's how he looks now, via WXYZ's sports anchor:

Miguel Cabrera has Hall of Fame numbers. Does he feel like has something to prove this year?

"Always. I always feel like I have to prove something on the field," he said. "Hopefully this year I can do a better job than last year." pic.twitter.com/ltiJQ9f9gE
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) February 18, 2020

At Miggy's 13th spring training with the Tigers, Seidel tips his cap to the first baseman player who hits age 37 in two months:

"It’s not easy to lose weight, especially when you are inching toward 40. ... The weight loss alone shows his dedication and motivation." ...

During infield drills Monday, Cabrera played first base and he started getting into it, smiling and joking and yelling some trash talk in Spanish. ... "I’m trying to get into shape and be ready for the season."

It is not clear how much he’ll play there this year.

See Gardenhire's comments about that at the Free Press link below. And catch these long-distance glimpses of Cabrera from a mlb.com beat writer: