One day before the first Detroit Tigers report to Lakeland, Fla., for spring training, star first baseman Miguel Cabrera is scheduled to be 60 miles away in Orlando for a hearing in an ongoing paternity case.
A judge will soon rule whether media will be allowed in the courtroom to view it.
Attorneys for Cabrera have asked a judge to close the proceedings, given his notoriety as a baseball player and the involvement of children.
Belkis Mariela Rodriguez, a 35-year-old Orlando resident, filed a paternity suit against Cabrera in August. She alleged that Cabrera had abruptly cut back on child support payments for her two children that he fathered.