Riley Greene Continues to Prove Why He’s the Tigers’ Offensive Catalyst
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The Detroit Tigers headed back to Detroit after a long road trip filled with ups and downs. After being swept by the Cleveland Guardians in three of the four games in the series this weekend, the Tigers had to come out in Monday's game to take care of business against the Minnesota Twins.
While the Tigers might not be a playoff team, this young roster has a ton to prove to the front office, which will have a busy offseason deciding who stays and who goes. One thing is certain for Detroit: who belongs in the Motor City, and that's All-Star Riley Greene.
Riley Greene Continues to Rake
Just when it looked like the Tigers were right back in the American League Wild-Card race, Greene got hurt and was placed on the injured list. In his absence, the roster fell from grace, leading them to once again look from the outside at the playoff picture.
Since his return, Greene has demonstrated why he is crucial for the future of Detroit. Not only does he complete the outfield when he plays left field, but he also showcases why he's an All-Star hitter, reminiscent of his performance earlier this summer and even more so last season.
Over his last three games, Greene has gone 9-for-13 with six extra-base hits, three home runs in as many games, has driven in eight RBIs, and has scored four runs. His 19th home run of the season was deposited into the right field seats to extend the Tigers' lead to 5-2 over the Twins.
RILEY SENDS ONE OUT 💣 pic.twitter.com/fVoM2zgzos
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) September 7, 2026
Greene has looked very on time at the plate, more so than he did when he initially returned. In his postgame interview, Greene expressed exactly how that's been his goal at the plate.
"A lot of things happen when you're not on time, and when you're on time, good things happen," Greene said in his postgame. "So, I'm trying to make sure I'm on time all the time."
Detroit held on for the 5-4 victory, but it doesn't change the fact that the Tigers aren't in a playoff position. Sure, these wins count toward their overall record, but the odds of making it back to the dance aren't in the Tigers' favor.
Regardless, going into the future, it would be in Detroit's front office's best interest to get Greene locked up to a long-term deal, because when he's on, the rest of the now-very-young offensive core is on.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.