Detroit Tigers center fielder Riley Greene, one of the best hitters in baseball in May, exited Tuesday’s game against the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the third inning with left lower leg discomfort.
The 22-year-old entered Tuesday among the AL’s batting leaders for the month, hitting .368 with a 1.018 on-base-plus-slugging percentage through 24 games in May.
The severity of his lower leg injury is unknown.
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Greene appeared to suffer the injury while chasing down Corey Seager’s line drive to left-center field in the top of the third inning. He caught the ball for the second out and finished the inning on defense.
But Greene didn’t bat in the bottom of the third.
He was replaced by pinch-hitter Andy Ibáñez. In the top of the fourth inning, the Tigers used three players with limited experience in the outfield: Eric Haase (catcher) in left field, Zack Short (infielder) in center and Tyler Nevin (infielder) in right field. Ibáñez stayed in the game and played second base.
In 2023, Greene is hitting .296 with nine doubles, three triples, five home runs, 21 walks and 64 strikeouts in 52 games. He has been the everyday center fielder, and without his presence, the Tigers would have one outfield-only player remaining on the roster in Akil Baddoo.
Before Tuesday’s game, the Tigers acquired outfielder Jake Marisnick, an 11-year MLB veteran, in a trade for cash considerations with the Chicago White Sox.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers’ Riley Greene leaves game with left leg discomfort