With young baseball prospects, the last thing any team wants is for them to suffer an injury that hinders their development.
That’s the waiting game the Detroit Tigers must play with Kevin McGonigle.
On Sunday, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that McGonigle would miss time with an ankle injury. It’s not clear the extent and Morosi reported that more information should be expected in the coming days.
McGonigle, who is 20 years old, is at High-A West Michigan. He is the Tigers’ No. 3 overall prospect and is the No. 27 prospect in all of baseball per MLB Pipeline.
McGonigle had just started his second full pro season with a bang. In the Whitecaps’ season opener, he went 2-for-5 with two doubles and four RBI. He worked with two other significant Tigers prospects, Max Clark and Josue Briceno, to help West Michigan win, 7-0.
The Holland Sentinel covered the opener. McGonigle played the entire game as he fielded what became the final out from his shortstop position. It made no mention of him suffering an injury.
Until the extend of the injury is clear, it’s difficult to gauge how much time he might miss. Minor league teams have a 7-day injured list and a 60-day IL. Given that the report indicates he’ll miss some time, a move to at least the 7-day seems likely.
The Tigers selected McGonigle 37th overall in the 2023 MLB draft out of Bonner & Prendergast Catholic High School in Alden, Penn. He was named the Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year his senior year and played for the United States national team in the 2022 U-18 Baseball World Cup.
Detroit paid him $2.85 million in bonus money to get him to forego college. After a smattering of games in 2023, he played his first full season with the Tigers’ organization in Class-A Lakeland and West Michigan. Combined he slashed .309/.401/.452 with five home runs and 44 RBI. He also had 16 doubles, four triples, 22 stolen bases and 49 runs.
Most strikingly, he had a tremendous eye for the strike zone as a young hitter. He walked 46 times against 22 strikeouts.
While at Lakeland he slashed .326/.407/.470 with four home runs and 37 RBI. In spite of a promotion to West Michigan, he was named the Florida State League’s most valuable player and the Tigers’ minor league player of the year.
He’s already used to injuries. He only played 14 games with West Michigan last year before he was shut down due to a broken hand.