Tigers revealing Colt Keith injury adds to end-of-season panic for Detroit

The Detroit Tigers just got yet another piece of bad news as they stumble to the finish line of the 2025 season.

The Tigers announced prior to Friday's series opener against the Atlanta Braves that Colt Keith has been placed on the 10-day injured list with right rib cage inflammation, thereby ruling him out for the remainder of the regular season. In the meantime, Jace Jung has been recalled from Triple-A Toledo.

It's a tough break for Keith, who exited Thursday's series finale against the Cleveland Guardians with low back tightness, but it's an even bigger blow for a Tigers team desperately clinging to a 3.5-game lead over Cleveland for the top spot in the American League Central division. Keith can play all over the infield but has recently settled in comfortably at third base for the Tigers and is batting .256 with a .746 OPS, 13 home runs and 22 doubles in 468 plate appearances.

Colt Keith injury, Jace Jung call-up add to end-of-season panic for Tigers

The No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Jung made a rapid ascent through the Tigers' minor league system and made his Major League debut last year. He hit .241 with a .665 OPS over 94 big-league appearances in 2024, taking over as the Tigers' primary third baseman in the second half of the season after they parted with Gio Urshela.

It was presumed that Jung would inherit the Tigers' starting third base job in 2025. However, after he went 4-for-33 with 10 strikeouts in spring training, he was optioned back to Toledo as the Tigers went forth with Andy Ibáñez.

This will be the second MLB stint in 2025 for Jung, who, like Keith, is a left-handed bat and plays primarily at third and second base. In his first stint with the Tigers earlier this year, he hit .111 (5-for-45) over three weeks after being recalled from Toledo on April 21.

Since Aug. 19, Jung is 30-for-91 (.330) with five homers and six doubles at Triple-A. He has 14 walks and 21 strikeouts over that span. The Tigers are hopeful that he will carry that momentum over into his second stint in the big leagues this year as they look to get back on track with precious little time remaining before playoffs begin.

This is a tough blow for the Tigers, who are looking to survive the rest of the season and head into Ocotber at full strength. Keith has been a key player for them all year, and now the uncertainty surrounding his injury has Detroit in further limbo with a little over a week to go.