Detroit Tigers right-hander Kenta Maeda was expected to take the mound Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies in a Grapefruit League matchup. However, the veteran pitcher was scratched from his scheduled appearance due to an illness, according to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch confirmed that Maeda was dealing with a stomach bug that kept him sidelined.

“He’s beat up a little bit; it hasn’t been a great night for him,” Hinch said. “Don’t make me describe it, please.”

While the 35-year-old’s absence was not injury-related, the timing is far from ideal. Maeda is competing for the final spot in the Tigers’ starting rotation and has struggled at times this spring. In four appearances (three starts), he has posted an 0-2 record with a 5.68 ERA. Despite the inflated ERA, he has demonstrated strong strikeout ability, fanning 19 batters over 12 2/3 innings.

Although Maeda was scratched from Saturday’s game, Hinch expects him to resume throwing soon. The plan is for him to throw on a back field by Tuesday, giving him a chance to get back on track before the end of spring training.