Detroit Tigers DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez is not in the team's starting lineup for Game 1 of a doubleheader on Tuesday against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. With Baez resting, Zach McKinstry will get the nod at shortstop and will hit seventh in the lineup against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Gibson. It seems like ages ago that Baez was a two-time All-Star with the Chicago Cubs. He's really fallen on hard times in Detroit and is hitting just .193/.233/.277 in 25 games this year with just one home run, nine RBI, six stolen bases, four walks and 21 strikeouts in 90 plate appearances. Now that Baez's power production is down -- he hit just nine long balls in 2023 -- it's hard to justify starting him in mixed fantasy leagues. McKinstry is hitting .220 (9-for-41) and doesn't have a homer this year, but he has a solo home run in six career at-bats against Gibson.

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch confirmed that right-hander Matt Manning will start Game 2 of the team's doubleheader on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Manning has fared well in his two spot start with the Tigers this year, allowing five hits (two home runs) and four earned runs while walking six and striking out 10 in 12 1/3 innings against the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins. The 26-year-old is likely to be sent back to Triple-A Toledo after serving as the team's 27th man on Tuesday, but given the matchup against a St. Louis team that could be resting some key starters in Game 2, Manning is worth a look as a streaming option in fantasy in this matchup. Through almost the first month of the 2024 season, the Cardinals hold the fourth-lowest team OPS in the big leagues at .636. Only the A's, Marlins and White Sox have been worse.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal allowed one run on four hits across seven innings of work during Sunday's 4-1 win over the Kansas City Royals. He struck out six batters while issuing one walk. It was another masterful day on the mound for Skubal, who improved his season record to 4-0. The 27-year-old now owns a sparkling 1.72 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 41/6 K/BB through six starts. Skubal is unquestionably one of the top pitchers in baseball and is a must-start whenever he takes the field. He should continue to find success in his next projected outing against the New York Yankees.

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Kansas City Royals for undisclosed reasons. Zach McKinstry is now starting in his place and will hit seventh in the batting order against Royals right-hander Michael Wacha. Baez will start on the bench after starting the team's previous seven games. If he's dealing with an injury, we'll update you on condition when we get word. The 31-year-old free swinger has been a disappointment pretty much ever since he landed in Detroit in 2022 and he is off to another bad start in 2024, hitting .193/.233/.277 with only one home run, nine RBI, six stolen bases and 21 strikeouts in 90 plate appearances. McKinstry will be a poor sleeper option in DFS at shortstop. He's never faced Wacha in his career.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's contest against the visiting Kansas City Royals. The young outfielder's tough season continued with an 0-for-2 effort in Friday's series opener, although he was robbed of a home run by the Royals' Adam Frazier at the right field wall. Meadows has been a major disappointment for fantasy managers who took a chance on the 24-year-old in drafts this spring as he's hitting just .079 (5-for-63) with two homers, three steals, and a .400 OPS across 72 plate appearances. He has posted a 12.5% BB% and has been bitten by a tiny .127 BABIP but he has also struck out in a whopping 40.3% of his plate appearances. His elite defense in center field has kept him in the big leagues but it wouldn't be surprising to see the club option him to the minors if his disastrous start at the plate continues.