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Detroit Tigers' Colt Keith, Justyn-Henry Malloy taking ground balls at first base
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- Detroit Tigers' Colt Keith, Justyn-Henry Malloy taking ground balls at first base
DALLAS — Colt Keith isn't changing positions.
Not yet.
But Keith, the everyday second baseman of the Detroit Tigers , is taking ground balls at first base this offseason to expand his defensive versatility for the 2025 season, even though the Tigers won't use him at third base. Outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy also is taking grounders at first base this offseason.
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"We are not giving up on corner outfield and second base, respectively, for those two players," president of baseball operations Scott Harris said of Malloy and Keith on Monday at the Winter Meetings, located at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, "and we're also not giving up on Spencer Torkelson ."
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Detroit Tigers second base Colt Keith (33) throws against Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning at Game 5 of ALDS at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024.
The fact that Keith is taking grounders at first base is notable for two reasons.
In the short term, it's because 2020 No. 1 overall draft pick Spencer Torkelson has been the everyday first baseman for the past three seasons. In the long term, it's because Keith is expected to outgrow second base and eventually transition to first base.
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Torkelson, 25, needs to win a job on the Opening Day roster.
He has a .221 batting average and a .693 OPS in his 361-game MLB career, spanning 1,469 plate appearances. In 2024, his .155 isolated power ranked 131st among 241 position players with at least 350 plate appearances.
"When we look at our team in the second half last year, we don't feel like we gave (manager A.J. Hinch) enough versatility, especially at first base," Harris said. "We felt like our limited options at first base limited him from seeking in-game matchups that helps us get an advantage and ultimately win the game. We felt like that was an area that got exposed down the stretch. Having more options at first base that can allow him to find matchups, I think, will make us a better team."
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Keith taking ground balls at first base has nothing to do with his performance at second base. The 23-year-old was worth minus-8 defensive runs saved, but he improved throughout the 2024 season. He excels going to his left and cleaned up his footwork on double plays.
Aside from defense, Keith hit .260 with 13 home runs, 36 walks and 110 strikeouts in 148 games. His .120 isolated power ranked 121st among 130 position players with at least 500 plate appearances.
First base is an addition to Keith's skill set.
"Building more versatility and finding ways to get better internally," Harris said.
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Catchers locked in
The Tigers will enter the 2025 season with Jake Rogers and Dillon Dingler on the Opening Day roster. They're not seeking upgrades at the catcher position.
Rogers and Dingler finished the 2024 season as the catching tandem. Rogers, 29, hit .197 with 10 home runs, 22 walks and 99 strikeouts in 102 games; Dingler, 26, hit .167 with one homer, three walks and 30 strikeouts in 27 games.
Both players are above average defenders.
"I think Jake and Ding compare very favorably to most catching tandems in the league from a blocking, framing, throwing, game calling standpoint," Harris said. "Defensively, I think they're as good as most, if not better than the catching tandems around the league. Offensively, they both can change the score with one swing, which is something you can't really find at that position very regularly. I think they're both improving offensively."
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Injury updates
Infielder Jace Jung underwent a right wrist arthroscopy — a minimally invasive surgical procedure — in late October to address wrist inflammation. He will be ready for the start of spring training, and he has already started a hitting progression.
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Shortstop Javier Báez , who underwent season-ending hip surgery in early September, has initiated a running progression. He will start light defensive drills within the next five days.
Right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long (left hip surgery, right elbow surgery) is playing catch three times per week, up to 120 feet. Right-handed reliever Alex Lange (right lat strain) is playing catch three times per week, up to 120 feet.
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' Colt Keith, Justyn-Henry Malloy get work at 1B
