Zach McKinstry 2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET Fri 11/22/24 4:16 PM
Zach McKinstry
2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET
The Tigers and McKinstry avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.65 million contract Friday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
EDGE Analysis
McKinstry had been eligible for salary arbitration for the first time. The 29-year-old slashed just .215/.277/.337 with four home runs and 16 stolen bases over 118 games for the Tigers in 2024. He's slated to fill a utility role again next season.
Zach McKinstry 2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET Thu 8/29/24 8:38 PM
Zach McKinstry
2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET
McKinstry went 3-for-4 with a double in Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Angels.
EDGE Analysis
McKinstry was the only Detroit played with multiple hits, and the lack of production around him prevented him from accumulating any counting stats. While the utility player can pop on occasion, McKinstry is still generally not much of an offensive threat, and his lack of consistent playing time limits his fantasy ceiling moving forward.
Zach McKinstry 2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET Sat 8/24/24 10:08 PM
Zach McKinstry
2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET
McKinstry went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer in Saturday's 13-4 win against the White Sox.
EDGE Analysis
McKinstry went deep off John Brebbia in the ninth inning, his first home run since July seventh. McKinstry in the middle of a five-game hitting streak with five RBI and two stolen bases in that stretch. The 29-year-old utility man doesn't get enough playing time to be fantasy relevant, and he carries a paltry .603 OPS through 90 games this season.
Zach McKinstry 2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET Wed 8/21/24 11:41 PM
Zach McKinstry
2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET
McKinstry went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 8-2 win over the Cubs.
EDGE Analysis
McKinstry notched a steal in his second straight game, but this was his first start in three contests. He's put together a decent August, going 13-for-45 (.289) across 15 games while adding three steals and four RBI. The 29-year-old is at a .199/.259/.320 slash line with 11 steals, three home runs, 19 RBI and 25 runs scored across 251 plate appearances for the year.
Zach McKinstry 2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET Sun 8/18/24 9:41 AM
Zach McKinstry
2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET
McKinstry went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Yankees.
EDGE Analysis
McKinstry batted ninth and provided an unexpected lift, as he came into the contest batting just .188 for the season. The utility man is now a career .215 hitter across 355 MLB games, so he's pretty much settled in as a low-impact offensive player who offers value to his team through his defensive versatility. That keeps McKinstry's fantasy appeal fairly limited.
Zach McKinstry 2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET Thu 8/15/24 10:44 AM
Zach McKinstry
2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET
McKinstry is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mariners.
EDGE Analysis
McKinstry will hit the bench for the series finale after he had started in each of Detroit's last three games while going 3-for-12 with two doubles, one walk and two runs across those contests. Though McKinstry's bat has warmed up in August, the Tigers still seem to view him mostly as a utility player. His playing time is likely to take a hit once Detroit gets Riley Greene (hamstring) back from the injured list, perhaps as soon as this weekend or early next week.
Zach McKinstry 2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET Sun 8/11/24 3:04 PM
Zach McKinstry
2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET
McKinstry will start at shortstop and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Giants.
EDGE Analysis
McKinstry will be filling in for a resting Javier Baez on Sunday, but the 29-year-old McKinstry could begin to gain more traction in a regular role in the outfield after Wenceel Perez (oblique) joined Riley Greene (hamstring) on the injured list Saturday. The utility man is included in the lineup Sunday for the sixth time in seven games and has picked up starts at shortstop, second base, third base and in left field during that stretch. He's getting on base at a .348 clip since the beginning of August.
Zach McKinstry 2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET Thu 8/8/24 7:54 AM
Zach McKinstry
2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET
McKinstry went 2-for-4 with a stolen base in Wednesday's win over Seattle.
EDGE Analysis
McKinstry walked in his first trip to the plate and later added an infield single in the top of the eighth before stealing his ninth base of the campaign. The second baseman reached three times on the night while posting his first multi-hit performance since July 13 against the Dodgers. McKinstry has now hit safely in each of his last four games and is batting .313 (5-for-16) to open the month of August.
Zach McKinstry 2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET Sun 7/14/24 7:19 PM
Zach McKinstry
2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET
McKinstry went 1-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Dodgers. He also stole a base.
EDGE Analysis
McKinstry showed off his speed in the last game of the first half, as he recorded his third triple of the season and seventh stolen base. The utility player got the start at shortstop with Javier Baez (back) held out, though Baez is not expected to need a stint on the injured list. McKinstry will slot into a reserve role after the All-Star break if Baez is healthy, which limits the former's fantasy upside.
Zach McKinstry 2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET Thu 7/11/24 10:11 AM
Zach McKinstry
2B/SS/3B/LF/RF DET
McKinstry will start at third base and bat sixth in Thursday's game against the Guardians, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
EDGE Analysis
Even with Javier Baez (back) returning from the injured list Monday, McKinstry has been able to retain a near-everyday role in the Detroit infield, at least against right-handed pitching. McKinstry will draw his fifth consecutive start Thursday, with the 29-year-old having picked up three starts at third base and two at shortstop during that span. Third base could end up being the primary home for McKinstry if he hits well enough to retain a regular spot in the lineup, as Matt Vierling is capable of filling in as an outfielder while Parker Meadows (hamstring) is on the shelf.