Detroit Tigers DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Detroit Tigers rookie outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy is starting in left field and is hitting third for the Tigers on Saturday against the New York Yankees and left-hander Carlos Rodon at Comerica Park. Malloy hasn't been able to get comfortable in any one lineup spot for the Tigers of late, as he hit sixth in the series-opening loss on Friday night and has also hit leadoff a few times in the last week. The 24-year-old will be in a much more favorable spot on Saturday than he was the day before, but it won't be an easy matchup against Rodon. The former sixth-rounder of the Atlanta Braves in 2021 is hitting just .216 (38-for-176) on the year with eight home runs and 20 RBI. However, he's gone 11-for-30 (.367) with two of his eight long balls in 2024 against southpaws. Malloy will be a DFS sleeper on Saturday.

Detroit Tigers second baseman Colt Keith (hamstring) is back in the starting lineup on Saturday at Comerica Park against the New York Yankees and left-hander Carlos Rodon, serving as the designated hitter and batting cleanup. Keith did not play in the series-opening loss on Friday night due to a sore left hamstring but is back in action for the second game of the series. The 23-year-old is hitting .249/.302/.378 with a below-average .680 OPS, 11 home runs, 43 RBI and six stolen bases in 386 at-bats in his first year in the big leagues in 2024. He's faced left-handers only 54 times this year but his hitting .294 (15-for-51) against them with one of his 11 home runs. Keith has never faced Rodon on his career.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter and rookie infielder Trey Sweeney will both head to the bench on Saturday at Comerica Park against the New York Yankees with a left-hander on the mound. Carpenter recently came off the 60-day injured list due to a back injury and has gone 5-for-16 since returning with three home runs and five RBI in four games while serving as the designated hitter. Second baseman Colt Keith (hamstring) is serving as the DH on Saturday and will hit cleanup against Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon. Carpenter, 26, could sit occasionally against lefties, but he needs to be rostered in most fantasy formats now that he's healthy. He's had only 161 at-bats in 2024, but he's already cleared the fences 11 times and driven in 34 runs for the Tigers while hitting .286 (46-for-161).

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda had one of his best outings of the year on Thursday, going 5 innings of shutout ball against the Seattle Mariners. Maeda came in after opener Alex Faedo allowed a run in the first inning, but the veteran shut down the M's into the seventh, keeping his team in the game and eventually giving them a chance to grab a 2-1 win. Maeda looked very sharp in this one, allowing just one hit and one walk while punching out five. Although he's had some decent appearances recently, Maeda is tough to trust on a start-to-start basis because he often has an opener used in front of him and doesn't pitch deep into games. He will have to show more outings like this one to even be streamer-worthy in fantasy.

Detroit Tigers closer Jason Foley secured a save in Thursday's win over the visiting Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park, striking out one batter in a clean ninth inning. Somewhat shockingly, it was his first converted save since way back on July 10. Foley induced a groundout from M's utility man Dylan Moore for the final out, safeguarding the Tigers' 2-1 win over Seattle on Thursday. The hard-throwing 28-year-old right-hander remains the best bet for saves out of Detroit's bullpen, but he does also have eight holds this year, so he hasn't been restricted to closing duties. Overall, Foley has a 3.48 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with 32 punchouts and 15 walks in 44 frames while going 16-for-19 on save chances for the Tigers this year.