Tyler Kinley: One of the Tigers' best pickups you might not know about

Tyler Kinley, a right-handed reliever acquired by the Detroit Tigers off waivers from the Atlanta Braves on Aug. 24, is drawing attention for his slider-led approach. Manager AJ Hinch highlighted how Kinley can match right-handed hitters “right on right,” while still using spin to handle lefties. Hinch said the slider isn’t hit hard, citing a 28.9% hard-hit rate, and that Kinley commands it as a key differentiator from other bullpen options. So far, Kinley has delivered 5.1 scoreless, one-hit innings. In Game 1 versus the Cleveland Guardians on Sept. 4, he worked a seventh inning leverage spot using sliders on 17 of 18 pitches—close to his 66.7% usage this season.