Encarnacion was removed from Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Tigers with a strained left oblique, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

This comes as a bit of a surprise, as it was originally thought that Encarnacion exited due to a wrist injury. Manager Aaron Boone said the team doesn't believe the injury is severe, per Erik Boland of Newsday, though Encarnacion will head back to New York to undergo further evaluation, at which point a timetable for his return should come into focus. Even if the injury is a mild one, there's a chance the veteran slugger, who hit his 34th home run before exiting Thursday's contest, misses the remainder of the regular season given the recovery timeline oblique injuries typically carry. Mike Ford entered the game in his place and is a candidate to see time at DH in his absence.

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