If the Detroit Tigers manage to take down the Cleveland Guardians in Thursday's deciding Game 3 of the American League Wild Card series, there could be more than just a date with the Seattle Mariners waiting for them on the other side.
Colt Keith, the Tigers' infielder who hasn't appeared in a game since Sept. 18 and was left off the AL Wild Card roster due to right rib cage inflammation, is progressing well in his recovery and could be available to join the team for the ALDS, which begins on Saturday.
According to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Keith played catch in right field with assistant performance coach Drew Heithoff and completed other drills without any obvious signs of discomfort prior to Wednesday's Game 2 against Cleveland.
Healthy Colt Keith could provide major boost to Tigers' ALDS lineup
"He took a step forward over the last 24 hours, which is good," manager A.J. Hinch said (via Petzold) before Wednesday's game. "I don't know what the means yet. ... Good signs, but I don't know that anything can be drawn from it quite yet."
Colt Keith (right rib cage inflammation) throwing to assistant performance coach Drew Heithoff before Wednesday’s Game 2 of the AL wild card against the Guardians.
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) October 1, 2025
The #Tigers hope Keith will be active for the ALDS, which begins Saturday. pic.twitter.com/g72WOsBvrF
Keith's injury coincided with the Tigers' brutal September slide that saw them blow their massive lead in the AL Central to none other than the Guardians.
The Tigers managed to take down Cleveland in Game 1 of the Wild Card on Tuesday behind a dominant outing from Tarik Skubal, but their offense blew countless opportunities in Game 2 before the Guardians finally took advantage and exploded for five runs in the eighth inning to earn a 6-1 win.
All of this is to say that the Tigers could greatly benefit from having Keith's bat back in their lineup. He hit .256 with a .746 OPS, 13 home runs, 48 walks and 102 strikeouts across 137 games during the 2025 season.
But in order for Keith to be able to help the Tigers in the ALDS, they have to get there first – and they have the opportunity to punch their ticket in Thursday's win-or-go-home Game 3 against Cleveland.
