SS Bryce Rainer on his selection by the Detroit Tigers in the 2024 MLB Draft
Detroit Tigers shortstop Bryce Rainer talks about his selection as the No. 11 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft on July 14, 2024.
The Detroit Tigers placed junior Kevin McGonigle on the injured list on Monday because he suffered a fracture of the right hamate (carpal bone fracture) that requires surgery. The hamate is a carpal bone in the hand and rehabilitation after surgery typically takes four to six weeks.
That means McGonigle, a 19-year-old shortstop for High-A West Michigan, will miss the rest of the Whitecaps’ season, which ends Sept. 8. But he should be healthy in time to participate in the Arizona Fall League, which begins in early October and ends in early November, if the Tigers decide to send him.
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In mid-June, High-A West Michigan third baseman Izaac Pacheco underwent surgery for a right hamstring injury. Pacheco did not return to play until July 22 as part of a rehabilitation program and needed a total of 40 days to recover from the surgery.
After a recovery period of six weeks, or exactly 42 days, McGonigle could possibly play again at the end of September.
McGonigle played his final game with the Whitecaps on Saturday, leaving the field after the first inning. He missed a swing in the first inning and showed discomfort in his right hand throughout the batting appearance. After the strikeout, he looked at his right hand as he walked back to the dugout.
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Aside from the broken hamstring, McGonigle had a successful first full season in the minor leagues, batting .309 with five home runs, 46 walks and 28 strikeouts in 74 games for Low-A Lakeland (60 games) and High-A West Michigan (14 games).
McGonigle, revered for his excellent contact skills at the batting crease, was unable to begin his season until April 23 after suffering a strained left thigh in spring training.
When McGonigle took the field, his performance showed why the Tigers selected him with the No. 37 pick in the 2023 draft. He batted .326 with a .407 on-base percentage in Low-A Lakeland and made 271 batting appearances.
The Tigers promoted McGonigle (and fellow prospect Max Clark) to High-A West Michigan on July 21. In 14 games with the Whitecaps, he posted a .214 batting average with one home run, 11 walks and four strikeouts, hitting his only home run with an exit velocity of 111.8 mph.
McGonigle is considered the Tigers’ fourth-ranked prospect and the 61st-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. He plays shortstop but could move to second base in either the upper echelons of the minor leagues or the major leagues.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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