Tigers Hot Hitting Prospect to Miss Season with Shoulder Surgery

The Detroit Tigers will have to wait until next year to see if their first-round pick of a year ago can climb the organizational ladder.

Jul 30, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; The hat and glove of Detroit Tigers right fielder Robbie Grossman (8) sits on the ledge of the dugout during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park. | Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

It was the news the Detroit Tigers didn’t want to get about one of their top prospects, Bryce Rainer.

The 19-year-old, which some prospect analysts believed could have been baseball’s No. 1 overall prospect next year, will now miss the rest of the season due to an injury he sustained earlier this week.

Per The Athletic’s Cody Stavehagen, the Tigers have opted to let Rainer have surgery for a dislocated right shoulder, which he suffered on Tuesday with the Tigers’ Class-A team in Lakeland.

Per his post on X (formerly Twitter), Detroit expects Rainer to be ready for spring training next February.

Bryce Rainer’s Intriguing Start with Detroit Tigers

Selected No. 11 overall last year out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, Calif., he hails from the same high school that produced current Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.

The Tigers paid him a $5.8 million bonus to get him to skip college. In his first full pro season, he was proving why he was a wise investment.

The shortstop played in 35 games before the injury and slashed .288/.383/.448 with an .831 OPS. He had five home runs and 22 RBI, along with five doubles. He struck out 33 times but walked 20. He also had nine stolen bases.

Per MLB Pipeline, Rainer is the Tigers’ No. 3 prospect, behind only outfielder Max Clark and shortstop Kevin McGonigle, both of which are at High-A West Michigan. McGonigle missed some time with an injury earlier this season.

Like Rainer, both were high school stars when they were drafted and signed.

On the 20-80 baseball scouting scale, Rainer’s best tools are his 70 arm and his 60 power, both tools that would play well at Comerica Park one day.

For now, the Tigers will have to wait at little longer.