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Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez leaves game vs. Dodgers with low back injury
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- Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez leaves game vs. Dodgers with low back injury
Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez didn't jog onto the field for the sixth inning of Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Comerica Park.
Instead, Zach McKinstry took Báez's place at shortstop.
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Báez, who returned Monday from a lower back injury , exited with a low back injury, according to manager A.J. Hinch. The 31-year-old spent one month on the injured list with lumbar spine inflammation before his recent return to the Tigers.
The severity of his latest back issue is unclear.
"He said he could play defense," Hinch said after Saturday's 11-9 win in extra innings, "but he was very uncomfortable hitting with a low back, so we got him out of there and will get him checked out."
Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez (28) catches a fly ball against L. A. Dodgers during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
Báez had played in all six games, starting five of them, since returning from the injured list.
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He is hitting .179 with one home run, eight walks and 43 strikeouts in 59 games, posting a .459 OPS. He is the best defender at shortstop in the Tigers' organization, though his offense has been well below replacement level this season.
The Tigers signed Báez to a six-year, $140 million contract in December 2021. He is making $25 million in 2024, with $73 million more guaranteed over the next three seasons.
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 shortstop Javier Báez leaves game with low back injury
