Detroit Tigers DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene is not in Saturday's lineup as the Tigers continue a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays will send left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi to the mound. Greene usually does still start against southpaws more often than not but will be given the day off on Saturday. As a result, 25-year-old Ryan Vilade will slot in at left field and bat in the eight-hole. Greene is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak and holds a strong .271/.363/.500 line with 17 long balls and 51 RBI through 97 games this season. He should be expected to rejoin the starting nine on Sunday. Vilade has posted a .304 AVG through his first eight games of the 2024 campaign and could be a sneaky play in DFS this afternoon, as Kikuchi has held a 7.53 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across his past six starts.

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez (back) is back at shortstop and is hitting seventh for the Tigers on Saturday against the hosting Toronto Blue Jays and left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. Baez will be back in Detroit's lineup for the first time since last Saturday. He had the All-Star break to rest up this week but still wasn't in the lineup for the series opener on Friday in Toronto to kick off the second half of the season. The 31-year-old has avoided the injured list, though, and will be available to fantasy managers in AL-only leagues on Saturday. It seems like ages ago that Baez was a two-time All-Star for the Chicago Cubs. He's declined each year since joining Detroit in 2022 and is currently slashing .179/.215/.244 with just one homer, 25 RBI and six steals in 59 games in 2024. Baez has hit .250 with two RBI in just four career at-bats against Kikuchi.

Detroit Tigers rookie second baseman Colt Keith is out of the starting lineup on Saturday against the hosting Toronto Blue Jays with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi on the bump. With Keith riding pine to start the game, Andy Ibanez will start at the keystone and will bat leadoff for the Tigers against Kikuchi. The 22-year-old left-handed hitting Keith has been serviceable in deeper leagues in his rookie year in 2024 by hitting nine home runs, driving in 37 and stealing five bags in 87 games, but he has only two doubles, no home runs and two RBI in 42 plate appearances against left-handers this year. Ibanez is a low-upside DFS sleeper on Saturday in the leadoff spot. The Cuban infielder is hitting a nice .288 (38-for-132) but has very little power or speed.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Matt Manning (lat) was placed on the minor league 7-day IL on Friday, July 19, with a right lat strain. The 26-year-old has spent the majority of the 2024 campaign with Triple-A Toledo and has only logged five spot starts at the major league level. Through 59 innings a Triple-A, the former ninth overall pick has posted a 4.53 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and a 22:60 BB:K ratio. In the big leagues, he held a similar 4.88 ERA and 1.55 WHIP through 27 innings. The right-hander is a candidate to return to the major leagues later this summer and could be worth a look in AL-only formats, but he may have to wait until the stretch run due to this injury setback.

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez (back) is still out of the team's starting lineup on Friday for the series opener against the hosting Toronto Blue Jays. Zach McKinstry will make the start at the 6 and will hit sixth for the Tigers against Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt. Baez will miss his second straight game after being held out of the lineup for the final game of the first half of the season due to a back injury. The 31-year-old still isn't ready to roll following the All-Star break, but the Tigers are hopeful that Baez can avoid going on the injured list. The Puerto Rican shortstop continues to disappoint fantasy managers and isn't even worth rostering in mixed leagues at this point. He enters the second half of 2024 with a putrid .179/.215/.244 slash line, just one home run, 25 RBI and six thefts in 59 games this year.