Should Tigers fans be concerned about Colt Keith's slow start to the season?

It hasn't been the best start to the season for Detroit Tigers infielder Colt Keith. After going 0-for-10 at the plate with five strikeouts in the Tigers' opening series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he made a costly defensive miscue in Wednesday's loss to the Seattle Mariners.

In the second inning of Wednesday's game, Keith – who is back back to playing second base while Gleyber Torres is sidelined with an oblique injury – fielded a ground ball with two outs and a runner on first, pumped to second and then spun awkwardly to make what would be a late throw to first, allowing both runners to reach base safely. On the next pitch, Victor Robles hit a double to the left center field gap, scoring both runners and giving Seattle an early lead.

To Keith's credit, he owned his mistake.

“I tried to come in and get it with one hand,” Keith said after the game (via Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press). “The hop beat me. So there’s no better word for it. I just kind of panicked. I knew how many outs there were. I opened up and for some reason turned all the way.”

Then, in the ninth inning, Keith was the tying run on second base when Dillon Dingler hit a line drive into left field. Instead of running hard to third, Keith briefly froze on the base paths; he ended up making it safely to third, but his indecision may have cost the Tigers a run and changed the outcome of the game.

Should Tigers fans be concerned about Colt Keith's slow start to the season?

As far as Keith's slow start at the plate goes, he seemed to self-correct in Seattle, where he went 3-for-7 with six walks. He has also walked eight times in six games – including three times during Wednesday's game – which shows tremendous plate discipline.

Keith has has a lot thrown at him in just his second Major League season – namely, a move to first base, followed by a nearly-immediate move back to second base, and the pressure of living up to the expectations that accompany the six-year contract extension he signed in 2024. The expectations of him are arguably even higher now after all the injuries in the Tigers' lineup.

At the end of the day, however, it's only been six games. Keith is still only 23 years old. Once he gets more confidence in his reads at the plate, on the diamond and on the base paths, the results will begin to improve. Don't press the panic button on him just yet.

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