With Tigers Getting Healthy, Here Comes Kinsler
By Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
Ian Kinsler endured a month of April unlike any other over his 12-year career.
Then he got hurt.
Not exactly a dream start to the season for the four-time All-Star who mans second base for the Tigers.
But since returning from a left hamstring injury on May 11, Kinsler has looked like his normal self. He's hitting .324 over that span, once again a spark plug at the top of the Tigers' lineup.
So, Ian, any correlation between your health and your offensive turnaround?
"Nah," he said. "Not really."
Okay -- then what's changed?
"Finding outfield grass with the ball. In this game it's a long summer, there's a lot of at-bats, you go through adversity and you just gotta keep plugging away. There's not much else you can do. I understand what I need to do to be successful and what I need to work on. Sometimes you get out of sync a little bit and you just need to keep working," Kinsler said.
True, some of Kinsler's recent success at the plate can be explained by improved luck. He had an unsustainably low batting average on balls in play prior to getting hurt, and things have evened out since he returned. On top of that, Kinsler has been making hard contact on a career-high 40.9 percent of batted balls, so it was only a matter of time before the hits started falling in.
But there's more to it than statistical correction. In the eyes of Brad Ausmus, Kinsler's hamstring injury and ensuing six-game absence may have come at a perfect time.
"Just before he got hurt he was kind of in a funk offensively and mechanically he was off. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise, because he could use that time to hone his swing. It definitely looks more like the Ian Kinsler we know since he's returned from the injury," Ausmus said.
April, truly, was uncharted territory for Kinsler. He hit .207 with a .686 OPS, both career-lows over the season's first month. For a player who has always burst out of the gate, it was vexing and somewhat worrying.
But Kinsler hung his hat on scoring 18 runs, which put him on pace for well over 100 on the season -- a circumstantial stat, sure, but one Kinsler takes pride in as the Tigers' leadoff hitter. What's more, the 34-year-old was able to significantly improve his BB:K ratio from last season, a trend that's held up through May. Through 40 games, Kinsler has walked as many times as he's struck out, something he's done only once in his career.
"I think it's just a byproduct of baseball. Every year is different, some years you strike out more than others, some years you walk more than others. It's just one of those things that fluctuates from year to year. Obviously you don't want to strikeout a lot, you'd rather walk more than you strike out. It's tough to do, but that's the idea," said Kinsler.
His numbers are still down across the board, particularly in the power department. He has just three home runs after clubbing 28 in 2016, and his .358 slugging percentage is a career low. But the recent signs have been promising.
"He's been getting his hits since he came back. It wouldn't shock me if he really started driving in more runs and seeing a few more extra-base hits," Ausmus said.
Kinsler's offensive surge has coincided with that of Victor Martinez, not to mention the electric return of J.D. Martinez. Miguel Cabrera will make his return to the lineup on Saturday night after nursing a sore oblique. Nicholas Castellanos is mired in a slump at the moment, but it's only a matter of time before he breaks out, too.
Despite these various hurdles, the offense has held its own. The Tigers rank third in the A.L. with 4.9 runs per game, thanks largely to their supporting cast.
"I think we're definitely doing better as a whole offense," Kinser said.
Then again, he contends, check out the numbers for the aforementioned players. Miggy, V-Mart and Castellanos have combined for 60 RBI, and Kinsler himself has scored 25 runs.
"The thing is, those guys are still being productive, they're still driving in runs," he said. "Nick's got 20-something runs driven in and I've scored close to that. Miggy's driven in that many, Victor's driven in that many. As long as we're getting the hits with guys in scoring position that allow us to win games, the other numbers really don't matter."
The Tigers, 20-20 through 40 games, have weathered an early storm. With key players returning and others returning to form, the skies may begin to brighten.
"Right now we're kind of spinning our wheels right around .500, but I think we're playing good baseball. We've dealt with some injuries and we're just going to keep plugging away," Kinsler said.
