Riley

Greene

It’s the regular lefty-killer lineup for the Tigers, as they’ll take on Framber Valdez in the first of a best-of-three series. Kerry Carpenter will not be in the lineup, but likely will see at-bats whenever Houston goes with a right-handed reliever. The full lineup for Detroit: Matt Vierling 3B, Justyn-Henry Malloy DH, Greene LF, Andy Ibanez 2B, Wenceel Perez RF, Spencer Torkelson 1B, Parker Meadows CF, Jake Rogers C and Trey Sweeney hitting ninth at shortstop.

Greene drew a walk to lead off the second inning and scored on a triple by Dillon Dingler. He later knocked a base hit in the sixth and singled in the eighth before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Colt Keith. With the game tied in extra innings, Greene came up in a big spot, leading off the tenth with a go-ahead base hit and scored once again on a sacrifice fly by Zach McKinstry. The 23-year-old outfielder has had a solid season, slashing .264/.353/.489 with 24 homers, 80 runs scored, 72 RBI, and four steals across 556 plate appearances.

Greene is having his moment. This homer gave the Tigers an early lead they would not relinquish and was his fourth in a week as he’s fueling the Tigers’ shocking postseason push. His OPS is up to .963 this month and is quietly cementing himself as the middle-of-the-order power bat we all hoped he’d blossom into.

Greene now has 23 home runs on the season and his first of the day pushed across the first two runs of the game. The 23-year-old has enjoyed a strong month of September, going 16-for-49 (.327) with four home runs, nine runs scored, and 13 RBI in 13 games. He hasn’t run much since his early-season injuries, so that has put a damper on his fantasy value, but there is clear five-category upside here.

Greene’s home run was his 21st of the season. He hit a solo shot off Tanner Gordon in the first inning. It was an impressive display of power as Greene pulled an outside pitch down the right field line. He added a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. Greene has at least two hits in four of his last five games. He’s 10-for-21 (.476) with a home run and eight RBI in that time. Greene is hitting .265 with an .845 OPS and 66 RBI on the year.

Greene struggled in August after his return from injury, but he has started September by going 10-for-30 (.333) with five runs scored, and eight RBI in eight games. He hasn’t stolen a base since June, and the injuries almost certainly have played a part in that, but the 23-year-old is still enjoying the best season of his career and will look to end the season on a high note.

Greene had a pair of run-scoring singles; one of them in the fifth and another in the 12th. The 23-year-old singled three times while also adding a double to improve his average to .263 and his OPS to .832. Greene sometimes feels like a player that doesn’t get nearly enough credit for how impressive he’s been at this young stage of his career, but fantasy managers who roster the outfielder are well aware of what he’s capable of.

Greene’s home run was his 20th of the season. He hit a two-run shot off Zack Kelly in the sixth inning. Greene has hits in eight of his last 10 games. He’s 10-for-40 (.250) with three home runs and seven RBI in that time. Greene’s hitting .258 with an .829 OPS and 58 RBI on the year.

Greene drew a walk in the first inning, then followed Trey Sweeney’s two-run homer in the second with a two-run blast of his own, taking Jameson Taillon deep to extend the Detroit lead. He later knocked in an insurance run in the ninth with a base hit. The 23-year-old outfielder is slashing a solid .261/.353/.483 with 18 homers, 58 runs scored, 54 RBI, and four steals across 440 plate appearances.

Greene will be eligible to play as the 27th player for Sunday’s game in Williamsport against New York. The Tigers will then need to make a roster move for Greene before Tuesday’s game against the Cubs. Greene has been out since the end of July with a right hamstring strain, and he should be activated by fantasy managers for the coming week.