LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers outfielder Johnny Damon sat out against his former team because of a sore toe.

Damon was scratched for what would have been his first spring training game against the Yankees on Wednesday after stubbing his right big toe “running around in the yard” a day earlier.

Damon says he could have played if it was “life or death,” joking that some people consider a Tigers-Yankees spring training game to be just that. But he wanted to stay off the toe for a day. Tigers manager Jim Leyland says Damon will probably play Thursday.

Curtis Granderson, who was traded by the Tigers to the Yankees on Dec. 9, was led off for the Yankees. Rookie Austin Jackson, who went the other way in the same trade, was leading off for Detroit.