Zach McKinstry spent time at six different defensive positions, plus one inning at pitcher, for the Detroit Tigers in the 2023 season. For his performance, he is one of three finalists for an American League Gold Glove Award in the utility category.

The 28-year-old, who played a career-high 148 games in his fourth MLB season, is joined by Mauricio Dubón (Houston Astros) and Taylor Walls (Tampa Bay Rays) as a finalist for the AL's best defensive utility player in 2023, announced Wednesday afternoon by Rawlings Baseball.

The winner will be announced Nov. 5 on ESPN.

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McKinstry, aside from his one inning as a pitcher, played 289 innings at third base, 272 innings at second base, 232⅔ innings in right field, 139⅓ innings at shortstop, 94 innings in left field and 14 innings in center field. He made nine errors in 363 chances.

McKinstry was best at second base.

His plus-4 Outs Above Average — combining his entire defensive effort — ranked in the 85th percentile, and his arm strength ranked in the 96th percentile. Playing a half-dozen positions wasn't a new accomplishment for McKinstry.

He played all six positions with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs during the first three seasons of his MLB career. The Tigers acquired McKinstry from the Cubs ahead of Opening Day in exchange for cash considerations.

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In the 2023 season, McKinstry hit .231 with nine home runs, 44 walks and 113 strikeouts over 148 games. He hadn't played more than 60 games in a single season before joining the Tigers.

McKinstry had the best month of his career in May 2023. He hit .301 with 20 walks, 15 strikeouts and a .865 OPS over 26 games. In the other five months, though, he had a .217 batting average with 24 walks, 98 strikeouts and a .607 OPS across 122 games.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Zach McKinstry named AL Gold Glove finalist