Broken bone in hand likely ends key Tigers prospect’s season

PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — The West Michigan Whitecaps are keeping pace for their first playoff spot in six years, but they will likely have to finish the year without one of the Tigers’ top prospects.

The Whitecaps have confirmed that infielder Kevin McGonigle has been placed on the injured list with a broken bone in his right hand.

The team did not say when he was hurt, but McGonigle left Saturday’s game against Beloit after his first inning at-bat . You can see him clenching his right hand while walking back to the dugout.

The team determined he broke the hamate bone in his right hand, one of eight carpal bones in the wrist joint. Hamate fractures typically take between six to eight weeks to heal properly, not factoring in rehabilitation time.

With four weeks left in the season and a postseason that only includes two best-of-three series, McGonigle’s season is almost certainly over.

While he had a slow start since being promoted to High-A West Michigan last month, McGonigle has clearly had a strong season as a prospect. He hit .326 with 37 RBIs in 60 games for the Low-A Lakeland Flying Tigers. McGonigle hit .214 with a .368 on-base percentage in 14 games with the Whitecaps.

McGonigle was selected with the No. 37 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and is considered the fourth-best prospect in the Tigers’ farm system according to MLB Pipeline.

With a 25-17 record in the second half of the season , the Whitecaps are a half-game up on Dayton (25-18) for first place in the Midwest League’s East Division. Lake County, the first-half champs, are two games back and the Great Lakes Loons are three games back.

The Whitecaps continue their six-game road series with Lansing on Wednesday afternoon.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.