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Colt Keith injury update: 'Step forward' keeps ALDS return in play for Detroit Tigers
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- Colt Keith injury update: 'Step forward' keeps ALDS return in play for Detroit Tigers
CLEVELAND — Detroit Tigers third baseman Colt Keith stood in right field and threw a football.
He didn't look comfortable.
Everything changed when he picked up a baseball.
Keith, who is recovering from right rib cage inflammation that he described as an intercostal strain , threw the ball without any signs of discomfort Wednesday, Oct. 1, before Game 2 of the American League wild-card series against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.
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"He took a step forward over the last 24 hours, which is good," manager A.J. Hinch said before Wednesday's game. "I don't know what the means yet. ... Good signs, but I don't know that anything can be drawn from it quite yet."
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Keith is eligible to play for the Tigers during the MLB playoffs as soon as Saturday in Game 1 of the ALDS, if the Tigers advance. He can't join the Tigers in the AL wild-card series because he wasn't listed on the initial 26-man roster.
Before Wednesday's game, Keith played catch in right field with assistant performance coach Drew Heithoff . He also completed other drills on the field.
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Keith has been swinging in the batting cage.
"The activity level is increasing," Hinch said. "The intensity of the swings have increased. The confidence with certain things — he hasn't swung and missed because you don't swing and miss off a tee, off flips, and he hasn't dove awkwardly fielding the ball."
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Keith hasn't played for the Tigers since Sept. 18 .
He hit .256 with 13 home runs, 48 walks and 102 strikeouts across 137 games in the 2025 season — the second year of his MLB career, in which he improved from a .689 OPS to a .746 OPS.
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"For what he's being asked to do, we were able to put more on his plate over the last 24 hours and challenge him more," Hinch said, "so if we have a decision to make, we have the most information available to us."
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Matt Vierling injury update
If the Tigers advance, outfielder Matt Vierling (left oblique strain) could show up for the ALDS against the Seattle Mariners , which begins at T-Mobile Park. The 29-year-old has been working out alongside the "stay-back group" of Triple-A players at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio.
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On Monday, Vierling took 40 swings as part of his rehab program.
It's unclear if Vierling will be active for the ALDS.
In 2025, Vierling hit .239 with one home run, seven walks and 24 strikeouts across 31 games. He has suffered from right shoulder inflammation and a left oblique strain throughout the season, beginning with the shoulder injury in spring training.
Reese Olson injury update
Right-hander Reese Olson (right shoulder strain) isn't expected to return to the Tigers until the World Series, at the earliest. The Tigers aren't counting on him for the ALDS or ALCS, if they advance to those series.
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There's a chance Olson won't pitch again in 2025 .
In 2025, Olson posted a 3.15 ERA with 25 walks and 65 strikeouts across 68⅔ innings in 13 starts. The 26-year-old hasn't pitched for the Tigers since late July, but he began a return-to-play throwing progression in early September.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers injury updates: Colt Keith, Matt Vierling, Reese Olson
