The Detroit Tigers have already signed Jack Flaherty and Kenta Maeda this offseason, but they’ve also gotten great news internally on the health of Casey Mize.The Detroit Tigers have already signed starting pitchers Jack Flaherty and Kenta Maeda this offseason, and now they’ve gotten great news on a guy they already had in the clubhouse.
DETROIT — DETROIT (AP) — Colt Keith hit his first major league home run and Kenta Maeda threw five scoreless innings in his return to help the Detroit Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 on Friday night and snap a season-high, five-game losing streak.
A season-ticket holder retrieved the ball and gave it to Keith on the field, where he signed a bat for the fan. By the time Keith was at his locker after the game, the keepsake was in a glass case.
“I feel like I’ve been dreaming of that for a while,” the 22-year-old second baseman said. “It was kind of a blur when it happened.”
Keith turned on a full-count, two-out pitch from Alek Manoah (1-2) in the second inning and sent it 400 feet to right, taking full advantage of a hanging changeup
Keith has been flashing some of the promise the Tigers were banking on when they gave him a contract with $28 million guaranteed in January even though he had only minor league experience. Over his last eight games, he has 14 hits.
“Every day, I’m getting a little looser and I’m seeing the ball a little better,” he said.
Maeda (2-1) gave up four hits without a walk, coming back strong from an illness that had him on the injured list since May 7.
