Colt Keith contributed a go-ahead double for the Detroit Tigers in a Wednesday road victory against the Chicago White Sox.
He may provide a game-changing play at third base in the series finale on Thursday. Or maybe five weeks from now.
All Tigers manager A.J. Hinch knows is the organization is ready to try Keith at the hot corner after the 23-year-old spent the early part of his career on the right side of the infield or at designated hitter.
“We’re curious about how we can maximize this roster,” Hinch said. “I don’t know that it will be something that is primary, or I don’t know that it’s something you’re going to see a lot of, but there are a lot of times during games — as we do use our whole roster — where being able to put him over there could be very advantageous.
“Just giving him different looks on ground balls. He’s getting a few. He used to play third base a little bit, so it’s not that foreign to him. You may see him there from time to time. We’ll see.”
No matter how the Tigers line up Thursday, they can secure a series victory with a win in the finale of the four-game set. Riley Greene had three hits and two RBIs on Wednesday, and Keith blooped a go-ahead double in the eighth inning.
Chicago rallied from a four-run, first-inning deficit but couldn’t capitalize in the late innings. Chase Meidroth contributed three hits and an RBI as the White Sox lost for the eighth time in 10 games.
White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr., a 2023 All-Star who is hitting .177 with five home runs and 20 RBIs, has sat out the past two games to reset.
“He’s in a good spot physically,” Chicago manager Will Venable said of Robert, who leads the American League with 21 stolen bases. “Just want to give him a couple of days here to lock in some of these adjustments.”
Tigers right-hander Casey Mize will attempt to rebound from his shortest start of the season. Mize (6-1, 2.82 ERA) pitched 3 1/3 innings in a no-decision at Kansas City on Saturday, allowing three runs and eight hits while yielding at least one home run for the sixth time in his past seven starts.
Mize is seeking his first win against the White Sox. In seven appearances, including six starts, vs. Chicago, he is 0-4 with a 5.34 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 32 innings.
Chicago is set to turn to Sean Burke (3-6, 4.20 ERA). The rookie right-hander pitched to a 2.73 ERA in six May appearances, five starts, after struggling to a 7.71 ERA over five outings, four starts, in April.
He delivered quality starts in each of his past two outings, including a tough-luck loss at Baltimore on Saturday, when he scattered two runs and five hits in six innings of a 2-1 White Sox defeat.
Burke said the start “was probably the best I felt in terms of how the stuff felt and the smoothness of the delivery.”
Burke won at Detroit on Sept. 28, 2024, behind five scoreless innings of two-hit ball. He struck out six and walked three.
The Tigers are 5-1 against the White Sox this season.
–Field Level Media
