Zach McKinstry shares All-Star Game selection moment

The Detroit Tigers were going for the sweep on Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, but they unfortunately weren’t able to get the win. However, there was a pretty cool moment during the game as Zach McKinstry learned that he is going to the 2025 MLB All-Star Game. It looked like there were only going to be four players representing Detroit, but because of an injury, McKinstry got the nod, and the Tigers are sending five players to Atlanta.

Zach McKinstry was informed that he would be going to the 2025 MLB All-Star Game on Wednesday in a meeting with manager AJ Hinch and the rest of the team’s All-Stars. That was a cool moment for him.

“It was a pretty cool moment to have those guys in there with me,” McKinstry said, according to an article from MLB.com. “AJ just said all the players here are All-Stars. That was pretty cool.”

When the All-Star Game rolls around next week, we could see McKinstry take the field at a number of positions. He can really play anywhere outside of pitcher and catcher.

“I’ll bring two [gloves] with me, the outfield and the infield glove,” McKinstry said. “We’ll keep the first-base one in the locker.”

AJ Hinch can’t say enough good things about Zach McKinstry. He has raved about him all year long, and he knows how important he is to this team.

“Because he’s playing somewhere different every day, you can get lost a little bit,” Hinch said. “What does he bring to the table? Everything. And I’m proud of him for how he’s methodically gone through this — in and out of the lineup, and then in the lineup a lot — and maintained his discipline at the plate.”

What makes McKinstry so good is that he is always helping Detroit win games in different way. He is the definition of a do-it-all player.

“He’s taking care of himself,” Hinch continued. “He’s opportunistic on the bases. Contribute[s] to a win every day, and he’s going to get the recognition that he deserves. I do know that I get asked about him a lot from the other side, which is the biggest praise you can get internally, inside the game.”

When the Tigers clubhouse found out about McKinstry’s All-Star Game selection, it was a special scene. The team knows that he belongs there, and it made everyone happy to see him get what he deserves.

“We found out and the whole clubhouse erupted,” Catcher Jake Rogers said. “Honestly, I couldn’t think of a human more deserving. He’s got all of his ups and downs and the teams he’s been with. He’s definitely a grinder, and it’s pretty cool to see a guy like that do so well at all positions around the field. That’s what I told him: ‘No one more deserving.’”

The Tigers also learned about one more member of the team going to the All-Star Game as well. He doesn’t play, but bat boy Frankie Boyd is going to Atlanta to help the American League All-Stars.

“We badly wanted Frank to get there,” Hinch said. “I did, for his own well-being in our [clubhouse]. Because when you’re up for something like that, if you miss out, the boys would let you know it. … They gave him a big ovation, and we tried to embarrass him as much as we could.”

All in all, Wednesday was a special day for Zach McKinstry and the Tigers.