Zach

McKinstry

McKinstry also drew a walk. The 29-year-old remains a valuable part of the Tigers because of his ability to play anywhere and help as a pinch-runner, but while there is the occasional quality offensive game, there just aren’t enough of them to suggest he’s worthy of rostering in fantasy leagues.

McKinstry drew a walk in the third inning and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jake Rogers. He then singled in the fifth and scored on a two-run double by Rogers. The versatile 29-year-old infielder then victimized Orioles’ closer Felix Bautista for a solo shot in the sixth that extended the Tigers’ lead to 9-1. He’s expected to open the season in the strong side of a platoon at third base for the Tigers, though his overall upside from a fantasy perspective remains quite limited.

Ibáñez is a right-handed hitter who will play primarily against lefties, which means McKinstry would begin the season on the strong side of a platoon at third base until Matt Vierling (rotator cuff) returns. McKinstry is a career .220/.285/.357 hitter who has struggled this spring, so he’s not a recommended add in most fantasy formats.

Pérez was supposed to return to game action on Wednesday, but now it seems like Saturday could be the earliest we will see him back out on the field. He has not played since March 2, which means he’s missed at least 11 games with lower back tightness. With Parker Meadows also sidelined by a nerve issue in his right arm, it looks like the Tigers might have to play Kerry Carpenter and Zach McKinstry in the outfield to start the season and use Spencer Torkelson as their regular designated hitter.

With Matt Vierling already ruled out for Opening Day and Parker Meadows dealing with a nerve issue in his arm, the Tigers could need another outfielder to take their place on the initial roster. Jones is a right-handed hitter who has hit lefties well, so he makes a natural platoon partner for players like Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, and Zach McKinstry. It likely wouldn’t be a fantasy-relevant role, but it could be a nice break for the 27-year-old.

McKinstry played a nice role on the Tigers’ surprise playoff squad in 2024, slashing .215/.277/.337 with four homers, 23 RBI and 16 stolen bases while appearing in 10 or more games at five different positions. Barring any major changes to their roster construction, expect the 29-year-old utilityman to function in a similar capacity once again for the 2025 campaign.

McKinstry’s walk in the second inning loaded the bases with no outs, but the Tigers could only score one run. McKinstry led off the fifth inning with a home run to left field that tied the game and chased Guardians’ starter Tanner Bibee. McKinstry has started two games in the series and appeared in another as a defensive replacement.

McKinstry had been on the bench for the last two games with Matt Vierling playing third base. On Thursday. Vierling will move to right field and Wenceel Perez will move to the bench. The rest of the lineup will stay the same against Tanner Bibee.

Perez has not been starting against right-handers in the postseason, but the 24-year-old will get the nod against Alex Cobb for the pivotal Game 3 contest. Zach McKinstry begins the contest on the bench. The full lineup for Wednesday’s contest: CF Parker Meadows, DH Kerry Carpenter, 3B Matt Vierling, LF Riley Greene, RF Perez, 2B Colt Keith, 1B Spencer Torkelson, SS Trey Sweeney and C Jake Rogers.

The original ruling was that Zach McKinstry committed an error on a grounder from Ramírez in the first inning, but MLB is now ruling it a two-bagger for the 32-year-old and adds and RBI. It doesn’t change the outcome of the game, obviously, but it does give a double to the third baseman and takes an error away from McKinstry.