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Tigers INF Colt Keith is out for the season and now we know why
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- Tigers INF Colt Keith is out for the season and now we know why
Colt Keith's season is done, and we finally know why.
The Detroit Tigers placed the utility infielder on the 10-day injured list on Monday, Sept. 21, with a sprained left thumb. But according to Keith, who appeared in the Tigers' clubhouse with a brace on his left thumb before Tuesday's game against the Washington Nationals , the injury had been bugging him since he got his glove jammed in the netting making a play during last week's series against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto.
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Keith tried to play through the pain, but eventually agreed to stop playing once the Tigers were eliminated from playoff contention.
"Didn't have full strength in my top hand, so swinging has been pretty tough, but I was trying to play through it to get to the end of the season," Keith said, adding that the injury didn't require surgery. "It made sense not to push it and potentially put myself in harm's way of losing the offseason, so we decided to shut it down."
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that Keith approached him during Detroit's series against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, saying that his thumb injury was getting "below the line."
"I could have sat him on the bench for five or six days, but none of that made sense," said Hinch. "It's going to take a few weeks to get back to full strength. That's why he was put back on the IL."
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Keith's season-ending IL stint marks the end of an underwhelming season for the infielder, one that took him 63 games to hit his first home run and one where he set career-lows in plate appearances (423), runs (51), hits (10), home runs (10) and RBIs (36). But Keith turned it on after slumping through his first three months of the season, slashing .273/.362/.461 over 177 plate appearances since July 1.
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Keith, 25, said he's aiming to nail down a position next season, whether that be at third base (where he started 49 games this season) or second base (where he played full-time in his rookie season in 2024). He added that his power numbers this season were similar to those from his first two seasons and that he would work on improving them for 2027.
"I'm going to go into the offseason trying to get better in every facet of my game, like I do every offseason, and try to earn my way into an everyday position next year," he said. "I'm definitely still trying to chase more power, more doubles, more gap-to-gap power ... that's still a work in progress. I think there's a lot more ceiling in there for me, and so that'll be a point of emphasis this offseason."
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Troy Melton , Jack Flaherty updates
Troy Melton of the Detroit Tigers delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026.
The Tigers didn't provide an injury update on Tuesday for starter Troy Melton, who experienced " general tightness and soreness " in his right arm in Detroit's 8-1 loss to the White Sox in Chicago on Sept. 20.
"He's not done with the whole process with the doctors," Hinch said before Tuesday's game, adding that the Tigers will make an announcement once they have a full evaluation.
Melton missed the first two months of the season after being diagnosed with right elbow inflammation in February. However, Melton said after Sunday's game that he doesn't think the two injuries are related.
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As for starter Jack Flaherty, who hasn't pitched since July 20 dealing with right flexor inflammation, he was scheduled to complete a bullpen session on Tuesday and is on track to pitch at some point during the three-game weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates , Detroit's final series of the season.
"I don't have the exact day yet," Hinch said. "We gotta work through a few roster things and things we have going for the weekend, but he's doing great and is ready to go."
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers INF Colt Keith is out for the season and now we know why
