Javier Báez's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez will start on the bench for Game 2 of the second game of a doubleheader on Wednesday against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. Zach McKinstry will make the start at shortstop in his place and bat eighth against Pirates rookie right-hander Paul Skenes. Baez heads to the bench after going hitless in three at-bats with a walk and a run scored in the 8-0 Game 1 win. While the 31-year-old has been better in the month of May, he's still impossible to recommend in most mixed fantasy leagues as one of the worst regulars in baseball. The Puerto Rican veteran came into Wednesday's games hitting a poor .203/.228/.278 with a homer, 23 RBI, six stolen bases and 13 runs scored in 158 at-bats. McKinstry, who has gone 14-for-73 (.192) this year with no homers, should be ignored against the hard-throwing Skenes.

The Detroit Tigers currently have no plans to bench struggling shortstop Javier Baez. "He's going to play, a lot," manager A.J. Hinch said. The two-time All-Star in his prime, Baez is hitting just .167 with a homer, five walks and 27 strikeouts in 37 games this year. The 31-year-old has been worth minus-one defensive runs saved at shortstop and has been the worst player in baseball when his offensive struggles are added in. His OPS has dropped in each of his three seasons in Detroit, from .671 in 2022 to .593 last year and to .422 so far in 2024. The 11-year MLB veteran had 31 extra-base hits in 136 games last year but has just five extra-base hits this year, putting him on pace for 18 extra-base hits in 2024. The return of Gio Urshela from the injured list could take some starts away from Baez at shortstop. Until Baez shows some signs of turning it around, he's basically unplayable in all fantasy formats.

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez is not in the starting lineup on Saturday versus the New York Yankees in the Bronx. The struggling Baez went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Friday night's walk-off loss and is now slashing a miserable .183/.228/.258 with one home run, nine RBI, six stolen bases, six runs scored, five walks and 22 strikeouts in 101 plate appearances over his 28 games in 2024. The 31-year-old free swinger has fallen far since his last All-Star appearance in 2019 with the Chicago Cubs, and he's been a massive bust since joining the Tigers in 2022. About the only thing fantasy managers can count on him for now is some modest stolen base numbers. Zach McKinstry is starting at the 6 on Saturday and is hitting eighth against Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt.

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 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.