Colt Keith injury: Detroit Tigers 2B exits win vs. Royals with right shoulder injury

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Detroit Tigers second baseman Colt Keith , one of the top rookies in baseball, exited Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals with a right shoulder injury.

It's unclear if Keith will miss an extended period of time.

He has dealt with a right shoulder injury in three consecutive seasons.

"I think he's OK, but he's got to get checked out," manager A.J. Hinch said after Tuesday's game. "We'll get him checked out. We're hopeful that he just kind of banged his shoulder on the diving play that he couldn't reach and came up a little bit sore."

THE THRILLING GAME: Detroit Tigers outlast Kansas City Royals in extras, 3-1, to hold ground in playoff race

It's the same shoulder Keith injured in the minor leagues in June 2022, when he suffered a labrum injury while diving back into first base on a pickoff attempt. He didn't undergo surgery but spent four months rehabbing, including the first two months in which he couldn't throw a baseball with his right arm.

He also tweaked the same shoulder in June 2023 while diving for a ball, missing three games.

"Same shoulder I hurt," Keith said after Tuesday's game. "It didn't feel the same as when I injured it before, but we'll see how it goes in the next couple of days."

In Tuesday's game, Keith jammed his shoulder diving up the middle on a single from Tommy Pham in the fifth inning. The injury limited the strength of his throws, so he removed himself from the game, but not until the eighth inning.

"I played until it stiffened up on me," said Keith, who finished 1-for-2 with one walk, "and it felt like I didn't have all my power throwing. I didn't want there to be a double play where I couldn't turn it, and hurt the team that way, so I took myself out."

HIS BIGGEST SWING: Tigers' Colt Keith unleashes first big swing in 'one of the coolest moments yet'

In the 2024 season, Keith is hitting .264 with 13 home runs, 58 RBIs, 35 walks and 104 strikeouts in 139 games.

Keith, who signed a long-term contract extension before his MLB debut, has been one of the best hitters for the Tigers after a slump to start his rookie season. Since May 1, he has a .289 batting average with all 13 homers in 113 games.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .

Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple , Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts .

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Colt Keith injury: Detroit Tigers 2B exits win vs. Royals with right shoulder injury