The Tigers promoted Keith from Double-A Erie to Triple-A Toledo on Monday.
Eastern League pitching proved unchallenging for Keith, who slashed .325/.391/.585 with 14 home runs in 276 plate appearances while striking out at an acceptable 22.8 percent clip. The 22-year-old infielder doesn't offer much value with the glove or on the bases, but if he continues to keep mashing at Triple-A, he'll have a chance to make his MLB debut later this summer for a Detroit lineup lacking in impact bats.
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Tigers' Colt Keith: Mastering Double-A
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Keith has a hit in 12 of his last 14 games for Double-A Erie and is hitting .474 with four home runs and a 10:9 K:BB over that stretch.
Keith broke out last year with a 150 wRC+ at High-A and a 1.004 OPS in the Arizona Fall League, and he has carried that success over this year as a 21-year-old at Double-A. On the year, he is slashing .331/.399/.571 with nine home runs and a 22.7 percent strikeout rate, and the strikeouts have been trending down of late. Keith profiles as a below-average defender at third base, but it's looking like his bat will be good enough for him to get time at designated hitter, if necessary.
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Tigers' Colt Keith: Continues to look good
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Keith went 2-for-2 with a triple, a solo home run and two runs scored in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.
Keith is batting .353 this spring with a robust 1.362 OPS. The 21-year-old is Detroit's top hitting prospect and figures to start the season at either High-A West Michigan or Double-A Erie, though at this rate, he could push his way to the majors sooner rather than later. Keith is worth keeping an eye on, particularly in dynasty formats.
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Tigers' Colt Keith: Gets spring invite after strong AFL
Rotowire
Keith (shoulder) appeared in 19 games during the Arizona Fall League, slashing .344/.463/.541 with three home runs and a 16:16 BB:K.
Keith missed the final three months of the 2022 minor-league season while recovering from a shoulder injury, but he was at least able to make up for some of the lost development time in the AFL and performed well at the plate while doing so. The Tigers announced Monday that Keith will join the big-league group for spring training as a non-roster invitee, but the 21-year-old infielder is expected to open the 2023 campaign at either High-A West Michigan or Double-A Erie.
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Tigers' Colt Keith: May return this season
Rotowire
The Tigers are hopeful that Keith (shoulder) will be able to return at some point this season, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
He will not need surgery on his injured shoulder, and even if he doesn't make it back during the High-A season, he could potentially be assigned to the Arizona Fall League. Keith slashed .301/.370/.544 with nine home runs in 48 games prior to suffering the injury.
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Tigers' Colt Keith: Lands on injured list
Rotowire
Keith was placed on the injured list for High-A West Michigan on Friday due to an arm injury, West Michigan broadcaster Dan Hasty reports.
Keither left Thursday's game with an apparent right arm injury after diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt. The exact nature of the injury and his expected return timeline are not yet clear. Prior to the injury, he'd hit an excellent .301/.370/.544 with nine homers and four steals in 48 games.
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Tigers' Colt Keith: Bumped up to High-A
Rotowire
The Tigers promoted Keith from Low-A Lakeland to High-A West Michigan on Monday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Keith, a 2020 fifth-round pick, earned the call-up to High-A after reaching base at a prolific .436 clip over 181 plate appearances with Lakeland. The 20-year-old showed a discerning eye at the plate at Low-A (16.9 percent walk rate) while seeing action at third and second base, but he didn't hit for much power (.102 ISO). Listed at 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds, Keith has the sort of frame that would suggest he still has some untapped upside as a power hitter.
