MINNEAPOLIS >> By any measure, the play was dangerous. The risk-reward leaned sharply toward the risk.

And Zach McKinstry, an infielder by trade playing right field, never hesitated.

It happened in the bottom of the seventh. The Tigers were leading by a run with two outs and Twins’ Ty France slashed a hard, sinking liner to right.

The safe play would’ve been to play it on a hop. McKinstry wanted no part of the safe play. He got a good read, charged and dived for the ball. If it gets by him, France is standing on third base. At least.

McKinstry couldn’t catch the ball, but he was able to block it with his glove and hold France at first.

“I tell everybody, I play the infield and the ball is usually bouncing,” McKinstry said. “So I kind of know where to put my glove if the ball bounces. If you don’t make it to the ball, make sure it stays in front of you.”

That’s the kind of intelligent, controlled aggression manager AJ Hinch loves about McKinstry. He absolutely defended McKinstry’s risk-taking on that play.

“I want these guys to trust their first read,” Hinch said. “You can’t play this game careful. We are going to make a few mistakes and had the ball gotten by him, then it’s what-if. But if you watch us play, you know we’re going to play loose and we’re going to play aggressively.

“As long as his first instinct is to catch the ball, I like the aggressiveness. And when he didn’t make the catch, the athleticism and awareness to knock the ball down saves the question of whether he should dive or not.”

Hinch has been in McKinstry’s corner, unwaveringly, since he showed up just before Opening Day in 2023. The positional versatility, the old-school dirtbag work ethic and style of play, the lefty infield bat — as Hinch has said more than once, players like McKinstry and Matt Vierling are what make this roster work.

“He’s kind of uniquely versatile,” Hinch said. “He’s likely to play third base (Sunday) after a few starts in right field and I ambush him with it. He has to prepare for everything because he finds out just before you guys do when and where he’s playing.

“I think it’s a unique trait to be adaptable and pick things up quickly. He makes it look a lot easier than it is.”

A Central Michigan University product, McKinstry was in a tough spot last July. He was scuffling. His batting average had fallen under .200 and his playing time was more sporadic than usual.

Also, it was clear the Tigers were going to be active at the trade deadline, both with moving players out and with bringing young players up from Triple-A Toledo.

And there was McKinstry, out of minor league options. He couldn’t help but wonder if his time was running out in Detroit.

That’s when Hinch changed the trajectory of his career.

“AJ called me into his office,” McKinstry said. “He said, ‘Hey, I know we’re going to make some moves here, but your job is secure. You play defense so well and that’s why we value you. Whatever you do at the plate is just extra credit.’

“That conversation gave me so much relief.”

McKinstry went on to earn a lot of extra credit. He was one of the catalysts in the Tigers’ surge into the playoffs, slashing .368/.411/.544 in August with seven doubles, a triple, a homer, six stolen bases, seven RBIs and 12 runs scored.

He went 3-for-7 with two doubles and homer in five postseason games, as well.

“I think it’s important to try to see ahead of things, see some of the landmines mentally or physically that guys can run into,” Hinch said. “He’s a man without a defined role and I felt like it was important to let him know how much trust I have in him and how much security he had on this team.”

It was the affirmation McKinstry was looking for, delivered at exactly the right time, and he hasn’t looked back since. He took a .350 batting average and an eight-game hitting streak into play Saturday with two triples, a homer, eight RBIs and eight runs scored.

“He’s been incredible,” Riley Greene said. “He works hard every day. And he does it in the infield, he does it in the outfield, he swings it, he does it all. I can’t say enough about him. He’s been a big part of this team for a couple of years.”

Greene played a role in McKinstry’s turnaround last season, too.

“Riley and I were talking and he was like, ‘It just looks like you are late,’” McKinstry said, meaning his timing was off and he wasn’t getting the barrel to the ball quick enough. “I started picking my (front) foot up earlier and things clicked.

“It was just a timing issue.”

But as good as he’s been at the plate, McKinstry still remembers Hinch’s words. His value is with the glove.

“I do feel a lot more comfortable at the plate and getting the job done always helps with that,” he said. “But my defense is kind of like a Cadillac — it’s durable and sustainable.”