LAKELAND, Fla. -- The only ball Jose Cabrera didn't hit very hard in Saturday's 9-3 win over the Yankees went for an opposite-field home run.
It was his first homer of the spring and the first since Sept. 14 for the Tigers slugger, who sat out the end of last season with a back injury.
"I got some hits today," Cabrera said. "I just want to be ready for the season."
The homer came on a fastball from Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka, but Cabrera said he was not relieved to get the first one out of the way.
"I go out there, and do my job. I don't know what kind of relief you're talking about," he said. "My goal is to be ready for the season and to be healthy and to be there every day. It's a long season. You never know what's going to happen. You need to keep your mind positive, and you need to do everything right to get through the season."
Cabrera hit a vicious line drive in his next at-bat that was caught by Yanks third baseman Brandon Drury, then punched a single up the middle in the fifth. He is hitting .342 in 38 at-bats.

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Greene gearing up for season
Closer Shane Greene didn't want to make a big deal about the special program pitching coach Chris Bosio has set up for him this spring.
"Honestly, I think you guys are exaggerating a little bit and freaking out for no reason," Greene said Saturday morning when reporters asked him for details. "I'm going to pitch in seven games instead of eight games, so I'll be ready to go Opening Day."
Greene's appearance on Friday was his first in 11 days, which was all part of the plan set up by Bosio to prepare him for his first full season as a closer. The 29-year-old right-hander appeared in 71 games last season, finishing 26. He became the Tigers' closer after they released Francisco Rodriguez midseason, saving nine games in 13 opportunities.
Manager Ron Gardenhire explained that Greene will appear in exactly seven games this spring. He appeared in 12 games last spring.
Boyd battles
Matthew Boyd wasn't too impressed with his fifth spring start, but he did get through it.
"Ideally, you want to be able to command everything. When you don't command your fastball, you kind of go down the checklist, so that's what we did," Boyd said after giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits against the Yankees. "It was kind of a check-down when I didn't have my good stuff. Today was a battle, and I got through it in terms of making the adjustments."

Boyd is 3-0 with a 4.50 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 14 innings.
Candelario at home with Tigers
Jeimer Candelario trained in Arizona for seven years with the Cubs, but Detroit's new third baseman has some familiarity with the Tigers' training facility. He played here in 2014 for the Cubs' Florida State League team.
Candelario also feels familiar with his new team after playing 27 September games with Detroit.
"I like it here," Candelario said Saturday. "They treat me like I've been here for two or three years, and I feel like I'm part of the team."