Keith undergoes further evaluation after exiting with low back tightness

DETROIT -- The Tigers’ only lead of their three-game series sweep at the hands of the Guardians came on Colt Keith’s second-inning RBI double Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park, but it might have come at a price. Keith left the game after grabbing at his lower back on his way home when Parker Meadows lined out to shortstop to end the inning.

Keith walked carefully back into the dugout at inning’s end, his hand still on his back, and told manager A.J. Hinch he needed to leave the game. He was undergoing further evaluation after Detroit's 3-1 loss to Cleveland, but the level of concern was obvious.

“He was grabbing the side of his back, and he was coming off,” Hinch said. “And all he was saying to me was, ‘I’ve got to come out of the game. I’ve got to come out of the game.' So that in itself is pretty alarming. …

“It’s very concerning this time of year, especially when he was that passionate about something going on in his back/side/rib region. I don’t know what happened. We’ll see when he gets back from the imaging.”

Keith’s injury was announced as low back tightness. Zach McKinstry moved over from shortstop to replace Keith at third base, with Trey Sweeney entering the game at short.

It’s a potentially big loss for the Tigers, who need all the help they can get for the home stretch as they try to wrap up what would be their first AL Central title since 2014. Keith has hit safely in eight of his past nine games, batting 7-for-20 with a home run and three RBIs during that stretch. He has also taken over primary duties at third, allowing McKinstry to get more playing time at short.

If Keith is sidelined for any length of time, the Tigers could put him on the 10-day injured list and have him eligible to return in time for the postseason. They have options at third base in Triple-A Toledo: Jace Jung entered Thursday batting .391 (18-for-46) in 12 September games for the Mud Hens with six doubles, three homers and 18 RBIs, while Hao-Yu Lee (ranked as Detroit's No. 6 prospect by MLB Pipeline) is batting .317 with an .856 OPS over 25 games since Aug. 16.

Promoting Jung would preserve Detroit’s lefty-righty balance offensively while bringing in someone with MLB experience, including in the postseason last year. Lee or Tigers No. 9 prospect Max Anderson -- also hitting well with Toledo -- would add a right-handed bat, but one with no previous MLB experience. Anderson has played just five weeks in the Triple-A level but has held his own there, batting .274 with five homers, 21 RBIs and a .785 OPS over 28 games as a Mud Hen.

Experience level doesn’t necessarily rule out contenders promoting prospects for the stretch run -- the Giants just called up top prospect Bryce Eldridge earlier this week to fill in for injured Dominic Smith -- but given the normal adjustment period to Major League pitching for hitting prospects, it’s a challenge.