DETROIT -- Matt Moore still hasn’t given up a run as a Tiger, but his knee injury Saturday leaves the Tigers facing a potentially difficult loss.

While the Tigers celebrated a 7-4 comeback win over the Royals Saturday afternoon, the team medical staff was checking out Moore’s right knee to determine the extent of the strain he suffered when he tried to field Billy Hamilton’s third-inning bunt. The team already confirmed he’s headed to the 10-day injured list. The question is how long he’s expected to stay there.

“He definitely strained his knee,” Gardenhire said. “We’ll have some details on everything tomorrow.”

Daniel Norris, who pitched three-plus innings in relief once Moore left, will fill Moore’s spot in the rotation. The Tigers don’t need another starter until next weekend’s series in Minnesota, thanks to Monday’s off-day.

Moore retired Kansas City’s first eight batters in order, striking out the middle of the Royals lineup in the second inning, before the speedy Hamilton laid down a well-placed bunt along the first-base line. Moore slid to field it, struggled to pick it up, then threw the ball away from his knees.

“He went to pick it up,” Gardenhire said, “and as he turned he felt something in his knee.”

Moore stayed in the game to retire Whit Merrifield, stranding Hamilton at second base, but then he walked straight down the dugout steps towards the Tigers clubhouse.

“He came in afterwards limping off after the inning, looked like he wasn’t very comfortable,” Gardenhire said. “We took him down to the [batting] cage down there and he said, ‘Let me see what it feels like.’ He went to throw a pitch and it didn’t feel very good. And that was it.”

Norris quickly began warming and replaced him for the fourth.

Moore has tossed 10 scoreless innings and given up just three hits this season, including seven scoreless innings in a no-decision last Sunday at Toronto. The 29-year-old, signed to a one-year contract as a free agent last fall, has been an early surprise for a Tigers rotation that ranks among the league leaders so far this season.

“I’m sure he’s more disappointed than anybody in the world,” Gardenhire said, “because he was feeling really good and throwing really good. Now we’ll give him some time. They’ll let us know how much time and we’ll go from there.”

With Norris slotting back into the rotation, the Tigers are expected to call up a reliever to fill Moore’s roster spot. The easiest move would be to activate right-hander Drew VerHagen, who opened the season on the injured list with a right forearm strain but threw a perfect inning for Class A Advanced Lakeland on Friday to begin a Minor League rehab assignment.