Detroit Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle suffers fracture in hand, lands on injured list

The Detroit Tigers placed prospect Kevin McGonigle on the injured list Monday with a right hamate fracture, which requires surgery. The hamate is a carpal bone found within the hand, and the rehabilitation timeline from surgery is typically four to six weeks.

That means 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 starts in early October and ends in early November, if the Tigers decide to send him.

McGonigle is ranked as the Tigers' No. 4 prospect and the No. 61 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

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Back in mid-June, High-A West Michigan third baseman Izaac Pacheco underwent surgery for a right hamate injury. Pacheco didn't return to games until July 22 as part of a rehab assignment, needing a total of 40 days to recover from the surgery.

A six-week recovery, exactly 42 days, would give McGonigle a potential return-to-play timeline of late September.

McGonigle played his final game with the Whitecaps on Saturday, exiting after the first inning. He struck out swinging in the first inning, and throughout the entire plate appearance, he showed discomfort in his right hand. After the strikeout, he looked at his right hand while walking back to the dugout.

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Aside from the hamate fracture, McGonigle had a successful first full season in the minor leagues. He hit .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 elite contact skills at the plate, didn't start his season until April 23 because he suffered a left hamstring strain in spring training.

Once McGonigle took the field, he let his performance display exactly why the Tigers selected him with the No. 37 overall pick in the 2023 draft. He hit .326 with a .407 on-base percentage in Low-A Lakeland, spanning 271 plate appearances.

The Tigers promoted McGonigle (and fellow prospect Max Clark) to High-A West Michigan on July 21. He hit .214 with one home run, 11 walks and four strikeouts in 14 games with the Whitecaps, blasting his lone homer with a 111.8 mph exit velocity.

McGonigle plays shortstop but could move to second base, either at the upper levels of the minor leagues or in the big leagues.

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

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