In January 2012, Victor Martinez tore his anterior crucial ligament in his left knee, forcing him to miss the entire 2012 season.

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There was certainly a moment of deja vu, then, when it was announced Thursday that Martinez would require surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Martinez will have surgery on February 10 to repair the knee.

The big difference between the two injuries is the amount of time Martinez is expected to require to recover. Whereas V-Mart didn’t take a single at-bat in 2012, this time around the injury is expected to sideline him for six-to-eight weeks.

After Martinez underwent an MRI and examination on Wednesday morning to confirm the diagnosis, Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski told the Detroit Free Press the doctors that read the results “don’t sound overly concerned” about the injury.

“We remain optimistic,” Dombrowski said.

Even with a perfect recovery, the 36-year-old will miss most-to-all of spring training, putting him behind schedule and forcing him to make up those reps during the regular season.

That he spends most of his time as a designated hitter will help get back in the lineup quickly, as will his natural hitting ability. Even so, the Tigers will likely seek another option in the coming weeks.

Among those options are in-house candidates such as Steven Moya and Tyler Collins. Recently released Dayan Viciedo and recently DFA’d Chris Colabello are external options. Perhaps some combination of internal and outside options could fill the void until Martinez returns to full strength.

But either way, it appears the Tigers will open the season without Victor Martinez for the second time in four years.

More Woes For Hamilton

Josh Hamilton knows a bit about recurring injuries.

Hamilton underwent surgery Wednesday to repair the AC joint in his right shoulder, a shoulder that also plagued him down the stretch last season. The surgery will keep the 33-year-old out six-to-eight weeks, virtually ensuring he won’t be ready for Opening Day, either.

Asked why the surgery came so late in the offseason, Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said the team was unaware the shoulder would present an issue at all this winter.

“We had no idea or inclination it would be problem,” Dipoto told the Los Angeles Times. “We thought healing and general rest would do the trick. That was our hope. He went through his regular workouts, strength and speed training. He didn’t aggravate it until he started to swing full-throttle last week.”

Dipoto remains hopeful Hamilton will be back sometime in April, but his injury history is cause for concern. Hamilton has missed time in four of the past six seasons, playing just 89 games last year.

Dipoto acknowledged the unknown that accompanies Hamilton missing time.

“We don’t envision this being a long-term issue, but six to eight weeks is not a short-term thing,” Dipoto said of Hamilton’s injury. “We’ll have a better idea when he gets back on the field doing baseball things.”

Shields Nearing Decision?

The James Shields saga may finally be nearing an end.

Shields, the last remaining free agent to receive a qualifying offer, reportedly has multiple offers in hand and is expected to sign as early as the end of the week, per Jon Morosi of FOX Sports.

Where he signs is still uncertain, but some potential destinations have become clearer. The Marlins have been interested for a while, but there remains some skepticism about their viability as a contender for the right-hander. Late Wednesday, the Cubs were also said to be sniffing around Shields.

But the consensus seems to be that the Padres are favorites to land the 33-year-old. Shields is front Santa Clarita, California, and has expressed a preference for playing in southern California. Both USA Today’s Bob Nightengale and CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman have the Padres as frontrunners for Shields’ services, with Nightengale tweeting that the Padres “have to be considered favorites” to sign Shields.

Spring training is just days away, so wherever it is, it’s likely Shields finds a home soon.

Quick Hits: The Red Sox locked up recently acquired starter Wade Miley, signing him to a three-year, $19.25 million deal that buys out all his arbitration years. The extension also includes a $12 million option in 2018 … The first arbitration hearing of the year took place Thursday, with the Marlins getting the better of Mat Latos. The club offered $9.4 million and Latos asked for $10.4, and an arbitrator ruled with the club … The Brewers continue to explore their options for late-inning relief. The club signed former Indians closer Chris Perez to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training, and they’re still considering their former closer Francisco Rodriguez, who remains a free agent … Also on their radar is Jonathan Papelbon, whom the Phillies remain hopeful they’ll be able to trade. The clubs have worked through most of their financial issues, it seems, but the question at this point is what the Brewers will send to the Phils in exchange for the 34-year-old reliever … The Orioles won’t have a closer issue this year after the club and Zach Britton agreed to a one-year, $3.2 million contract to avoid arbitration. Britton, 27, saved 37 games for the O’s last year and will enter camp with a stranglehold on the closer job … Danny Salazar was being investigated in a possible sexual assault case earlier this week, but it came out Thursday that no charges will be filed against the 25-year-old … Viciedo, cut loose by the White Sox, will likely find a new home in short order. The outfielder can be a productive member of a left-right platoon at the very least … The Rangers signed Ryan Ludwick to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. Ludwick batted just .244/.308/.375 last season, but the 36-year-old still has some pop when healthy.