Tigers’ top prospect expected to miss time with mysterious ankle injury

Emma Lingan

Detroit Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle practices during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland on Friday, Feb. 20, 2025. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers were dealt another tough blow on the injury front this week when it was revealed that one of their top hitting prospects would be sidelined with an ankle injury for an undisclosed amount of time.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported Sunday that shortstop prospect Kevin McGonigle would "miss time" with an ankle injury. The severity of the injury and timeline to return remain unknown, and the organization has yet to reveal any additional information.

McGonigle, the Tigers’ No. 3 overall prospect and the No. 27 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline, was the No. 37 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. He opened the 2025 season with a pair of doubles and four RBI in the season opener for High-A West Michigan on Friday. He hasn't played since.

It's unclear whether the injury occurred during Friday's game, but McGonigle played the entire game at shortstop. He hasn't officially been moved to the injured list yet, but given Morosi's report that he'll miss "some time" and the fact that he missed West Michigan's past two games, a move seems likely.

Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle expected to miss time with mysterious ankle injury

McGonigle split his first full season with the Tigers’ organization last year between Class-A Lakeland and West Michigan. He slashed a combined .309/.401/.452 across both levels with five home runs and 44 RBI. He also had 16 doubles, four triples, 22 stolen bases and 49 runs, not to mention an impressive 46:22 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Following his promotion to High-A last season, however, McGonigle's season was cut short. He appeared in just 14 games with West Michigan in 2024 before being shut down in August with a broken hand.

The biggest concern with injuries to young prospects is the potential to hinder their development. McGonigle is only 20 years old, but he was on pace to move quickly through the minor leagues and make his MLB debut as early as next year. That's still a possibility, depending on where he plays defensively – he has seen time at both shortstop and third base – but the Tigers will have to play the waiting game and hope that he has avoided another major injury setback.

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Emma Lingan

Emma Lingan is an MLB Staff Writer for FanSided primarily covering the Pittsburgh Pirates. She has been covering baseball for more than a decade dating back to her time as a student at Wake Forest University, and she has won two gold medals as a member of the U.S. National Team delegation (2016 Pan-American Championships & 2017 World Baseball Classic). A native of Washington, D.C. and current resident of Nashville, Tenn., she is also entering her seventh season as a credentialed NHL media member and currently covers the NHL’s Nashville Predators for The Hockey News. When she's not watching hockey, baseball or football, she enjoys podcasting, reading, going to the gym, consuming large amounts of coffee and taking long walks with her dog, Minkah. You can follow her @Emma_lingan on Twitter and Instagram.