Tigers' A.J. Hinch 'very concerned' about Colt Keith's rib injury

While the Detroit Tigers are trying to wrap up the regular season on top, they will be without a key figure for some time. On Thursday, in the game against the Cleveland Guardians, Colt Keith had to exit the game early due to a rib injury. 

He was seen grimacing in pain as he stood on the basepaths in the second inning. After the inning, he could be seen talking to manager A.J. Hinch, updating him on the situation. 

Ahead of the start of their three-game series with the Atlanta Braves, the club announced it had placed him on the 10-day IL. If the IL trip is retroactive to Thursday, the earliest he could return would be Sunday, September 28.

After Thursday's game, the Tigers' skipper gave an initial update on his slugging infielder. And with what Keith said to Hinch, it does not sound good, via The Athletic's Cody Stevenhagen. 

"He was coming off and all he was saying to me was, 'I got to come out of the game. I got to come out of the game.' It's very concerning this time of year, especially when he was that passionate about something going on in his back/side/rib region."

This is the worst time for a player to be dealing with this type of injury. Hopefully, he can heal quickly and return to perform in the postseason. Without him, Detroit would be taking a massive hit in terms of offensive prowess.