Baseball is a cruel, stupid game. One minute you’re hitting three home runs and driving in six to single-handedly dismantle the Houston Astros; the next, you’re sitting in the dugout with ice strapped to your wrist because you tripped over a patch of outfield grass. That is the reality for Detroit Tigers infielder Colt Keith. He was scratched Tuesday.
Right wrist soreness is the official diagnosis. The injury stems from Monday’s 9-3 victory. Keith was the undisputed star of the night, but gravity had other plans. In the seventh inning, the 24-year-old made a spectacular, off-balance throw from foul territory at third base to secure the final out, only to lose his footing immediately after. He tripped. He fell. Hard.
“I tripped on the grass,” Keith admitted afterward, probably wishing the ground would swallow him whole. “I think everyone was watching the ball when I threw it. I felt super unathletic there.” He wasn’t wrong. The baseball gods have a sick sense of humor.
He was slated to hit sixth as the designated hitter on Tuesday against Houston righty Hunter Brown. Instead, manager A.J. Hinch had to scramble. Wenceel Pérez entered the lineup in right field, batting sixth, while Kerry Carpenter slid into the DH spot.
The severity of the wrist issue remains a mystery. It’s a brutal blow for a kid who was finally finding his groove. Keith is batting .267 this season with four home runs—all of which came in his last four games. He also has 11 walks and 43 strikeouts over 66 games, alongside a shaky minus-two defensive runs saved at third base.
“I love it when he smiles on the field,” Hinch said on Monday, before the wrist swelled up. “He’s so serious, but I know he got to a couple of balls and got rewarded for it.” He got rewarded, alright. With a seat on the bench and a bag of ice.
