The Tigers announced that infielder Zach McKinstry has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 16th, with left hip/abdominal inflammation. Infielder Hao-Yu Lee has been recalled and is in the starting lineup. He is playing third base and batting eighth and will make his major league debut in the process.
Lee, now 23, was signed out of Taiwan by the Phillies in 2021 as an international amateur. The Tigers acquired him in the 2023 deadline deal which sent right-hander Michael Lorenzen to Philadelphia.
The book on Lee can be summed up in the old phrase “jack of all trades, master of none.” He spent last year at the Triple-A level and took 579 plate appearances. His 11.2% walk rate and 20.9% strikeout rate were both a bit better than average. He hit 14 home runs and slashed .243/.342/.406 for a wRC+ of 106, indicating he was six percent better than league average offensively. He stole 22 bases. He has experience at second base, third base and shortstop but hasn’t played short since 2023.
The Tigers gave him a 40-man roster spot in November, to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. Baseball America ranked him the club’s #6 prospect coming into the season. His 2026 campaign has been off to a slow start. A strained left oblique prevented him from representing his country in the World Baseball Classic. He began the season on the minor league injured list and has since played in nine games on the farm with a .194/.231/.278 line.
Though he appears to be shaking off some rust, it’s possible the Tigers decided to call him up for his right-handed bat. As pointed out by Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Detroit is facing a bunch of lefties in the next little bit. That includes Ranger Suárez of the Red Sox tonight and then Garrett Crochet on Sunday. Lee had a big .299/.395/.523 slash line against lefties last year, so he could be an asset in a platoon role, combining with lefty Colt Keith to cover the hot corner.
The Tigers have also been utilizing McKinstry as their second baseman when Framber Valdez starts, since Valdez is a ground ball pitcher. Normal second baseman Gleyber Torres, who isn’t especially adept in the field, usually slides into the designated hitter spot on those days. If the Tigers feel Lee is a better defender than Torres, he could also pick up some time there. That would leave third base to Keith and Kevin McGonigle, with McGonigle and Javier Báez also sharing shortstop duties. Lee has a full slate of options, so he could be sent back down to the minors when McKinstry heals up, or if the Tigers enter a less lefty-heavy portion of the schedule.
Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images
Hao-Yu like that!
Hao-Yu doing!?
Hao-Yu gonna crash out like that!
Sounds like he could fit right in on the Who’s On First lineup.
Is he a top 100 prospect? He’s not on my radar
I thought it would be Max Anderson, but Lee may already be on the 40 man roster.
Yes, he was already on the 40 man.
Max is on the Toledo 7 day IL.
He is not. He’s the Tigers’ #6 prospect per MLB. He’s projected to hit for average and provide good defense. He was primarily a 2B but he has also played 3B. He came from Philly in the Lorenzen trade.
I saw him in the minors a few times with the Phils. His plate approach was terrific at those levels, and the basic hit tool was very good. The rest, not so much. Not much athleticism; kind of a bad body type for that age; not impressed with the defense even at 2B.
Not sure how he developed since the trade, but unless one has a truly elite major league hit tool, the lack in other areas makes him less intriguing as to his eventual major league success.
Agree. I’ve seen him some in Erie and in spring training with the Tigers. He looks like he can hit…some. But he doesn’t look particularly elegant on the basepaths or in the field. I will watch him. Always like to see new guys get a chance. Prove us wrong!
He was flirting with the bottom of the list a year or two ago. Right now he’s probably somewhere in the Top 150-200 area. Just doesn’t have an elite tool to push him up further on the list, but his decent floor with so many of his skills and his fielding versatility seemed to portend at least a plausible utility role at the Major League level.
If he starts ripping into lefties, there’s a chance he sticks around and takes Jahmai Jones or (less likely) Vierling’s spot. I’d be highly surprised if that happens though. When McKinstry is ready, Lee should be headed back to Toledo.
Being called up because you’re an injury replacement should have an asterisk next to debut. Doesn’t mean as much and I’m sure there is bitterness involved knowing you’re only there because someone got hurt.
why would you think that? huge part of the league gets to the show when another guy goes down. be surprised if even one guy felt as you describe. he’s in the major leagues living the dream.
Guarantee you these guys don’t care how they break through, just that they do. Now the goal is to stay up.
@Wagner
That’s cool. I’m glad they sit there and wish someone gets hurt so they can play. Great teamate
Ridiculous comment
@Sack it’s an excellent observation by a forward thinking man. Be a sheep, sheep
Slider….i don’t know about that. Have you ever heard (and I know I’m showing my age) of some scrub by the name of Lou Gehrig who was the injury replacement for Wally Pipp?
Lee is on the 40 man. A little surprised only because he got hurt and didn’t have a full spring training. Gage Workman has been having a great start to the AAA season and plays 3B (among others) but he’s not on the 40-man roster.
I’ve seen a little of Lee in person at Erie last year and this spring training. He looks like a hitter. Solid swing. Stings the ball sometimes. Seems sure handed in the field, but also doesn’t jump off the page.
Lee also is right handed. Obviously, McKinstry is a lefty and so is Workman. Hinch appears to want another RH’d hitting infield option.
Also 4 games in Fenway this weekend. Not a bad thing to have another RH’d bat to maybe bounce one off the green mahnstah.
None of the 3 on the 40-man were really setting it on fire. Trei Cruz is closer to McKinstry than anyone – very similar skills. But he wasn’t doing anything in Toledo, neither was Jung, who seems to be running in place. Lee probably has the highest upside.
Joining Kai Wei Teng as the Taiwanese players!
I love Taiwan and it’s nice to add another major leagues to the country.
The movie quote is actually “Hey you Guys!!!”