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Detroit Tigers playoff roster set for ALDS vs Seattle Mariners: Colt Keith active
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- Detroit Tigers playoff roster set for ALDS vs Seattle Mariners: Colt Keith active
SEATTLE — The Detroit Tigers have set their 26-man roster for the ALDS in the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park.
The big news: Third baseman Colt Keith is active after recovering from right rib cage inflammation.
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The Tigers and Mariners are scheduled to play Game 1 of the ALDS at 8:38 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 , so the rosters for the best-of-five series had to be finalized by 1 p.m. before Saturday's game.
"We wanted his bat in the lineup," manager A.J. Hinch said before Saturday's game. "We'll be somewhat conservative with the defense, just given all the different plays and angles and stress we can put on him, but he demonstrated that he can put together a competitive at-bat, good swings."
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The Tigers are carrying 14 position players and 12 pitchers. Teams are limited to 13 pitchers among the 26 players, but there's no cap on position players.
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The roster can change before every series in the playoffs .
Tigers playoff roster vs Mariners
Here is the Tigers' 26-man postseason roster for the ALDS against the Mariners:
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Catchers (2): Dillon Dingler , Jake Rogers .
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Infielders (7): Javier Báez , Andy Ibáñez , Colt Keith , Zach McKinstry , Trey Sweeney , Spencer Torkelson , Gleyber Torres .
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Outfielders (5): Kerry Carpenter , Riley Greene , Jahmai Jones , Parker Meadows , Wenceel Pérez.
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Right-handed pitchers (9): Kyle Finnegan , Jack Flaherty , Brenan Hanifee , Tommy Kahnle , Troy Melton , Casey Mize , Keider Montero , Rafael Montero , Will Vest .
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Left-handed pitchers (3): Tyler Holton , Brant Hurter , Tarik Skubal
For the 14 position players, the Tigers added Keith and removed outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy . For the 12 pitchers, the Tigers added right-handed reliever Brenan Hanifee and removed right-handed reliever Paul Sewald .
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Detroit Tigers second baseman Colt Keith takes the field during player introductions for Game 3 of the ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024.
Keith, 24, hasn't played for the Tigers since Sept. 18, when he suffered right rib cage inflammation — he described the injury as an intercostal strain — on a swing, forcing him to exit the game after the second inning .
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The Tigers cleared Keith for the ALDS after he completed live batting practice, along with running and fielding drills, during Friday's workout at T-Mobile Park.
"He swung and made contact," Hinch said. "He had a couple check-swings. He swung and missed. All the things that give us a lot of confidence that he can give us as many at-bats as possible."
Keith hit .256 with 13 home runs, 48 walks and 102 strikeouts in 137 games in the regular season. He spent time at first, second and third base on defense, but he has settled in as the Tigers' primary third baseman.
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Brenan Hanifee (75) pitches in the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025.
Hanifee, 27, logged a 3.00 ERA with 14 walks and 40 strikeouts across 60 innings in 54 games in the regular season. He dominates right-handed hitters but struggles against left-handed hitters, which is why the Tigers didn't put him on their roster for the wild-card round.
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The Mariners have seven right-handed hitters among their 14 position players for the ALDS, whereas the Cleveland Guardians had just four right-handed hitters among their 15 position players for the AL wild card.
Hanifee is a better matchup against the Mariners, considering righties hit .220 with a .549 OPS against him, whereas lefties hit .373 with a .995 OPS.
"He has pitched very well for us," Hinch said. "He's tough on righties. He can manage his way through a pocket of hitters and get a lefty out as well. It's about getting him back on the roster in the right configuration of the opponent."
The Tigers could've swapped out either Sewald or right-hander Keider Montero , but Montero could be needed for multiple innings of Game 1 of the ALDS, while Sewald was treated as the last man in the bullpen throughout the wild-card series, making him an easy cut.
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For the position player removed, the Tigers didn't need all three right-handed hitters used primarily against left-handed pitchers — Malloy, Jahmai Jones and Andy Ibáñez — since the Mariners have just two lefties among their 12 pitchers, both relievers. The Tigers opted to drop Malloy, keeping Jones and Ibáñez.
The winner of series between the Tigers and Mariners will advance to play the Toronto Blue Jays or New York Yankees in a best-of-seven ALCS, beginning Sunday, Oct. 12 .
For Saturday's game, Troy Melton will start Game 1 against Mariners right-hander George Kirby . Melton has never faced the Mariners, while Kirby owns a 7.48 ERA in six starts against the Tigers, who have hit .331 with a .995 OPS in those matchups.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal is set to start Sunday in Game 2 for the Tigers, opposed by Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo .
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Is Bryan Woo healthy?
The Mariners won't have right-hander Bryan Woo for the ALDS against the Tigers. The 25-year-old made the All-Star Game in 2025, but he hasn't pitched since Sept. 19.
Since the Mariners didn't put Woo on their 26-man roster, he isn't eligible to pitch in the best-of-five series.
He continues to be sidelined by a pectoral injury.
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) throws to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 11, 2025.
"A tough decision and one that we weighed very carefully," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said before Saturday's game. "We felt like he had made strides as we had hoped, but it looked like it wasn't going to be able to be in this series. We did the more cautious thing to make sure he gets healthy to where he needs to be. Tough decision, but one that makes the most sense."
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Woo completed a 15-pitch simulated game Thursday, just two days before Game 1 of the ALDS. He is making progress in his rehab from right pectoral inflammation, but he isn't ready to pitch within the seven-day series.
In 2025, Woo posted a 2.94 ERA with 36 walks and 198 strikeouts across 186⅔ innings in 30 starts. He could join the Mariners in the ALCS, if they advance.
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 playoff roster vs Seattle Mariners in ALDS
