Tigers Highly Rated Prospect Will Miss World Baseball Classic with Injury
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A Detroit Tigers prospect who was slated to represent his country in the World Baseball Classic this month is instead returning to the spring training facility.
It was first reported on Wednesday night by Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic that Detroit's No. 6 prospect Hao-Yu Lee has been removed from Chinese Taipei's WBC roster with a left oblique strain, something which was confirmed by an MRI.
Lee headed back to Lakeland for further evaluation, which of course Tigers fans will be paying close attention to as oblique issues are always tricky and can sometimes cause lengthy absences.
Likely in line to make his big league debut at some point this season, an injury to Lee is notable for Detroit's infield depth situation.
Lee Had Outside Chance to Crack Tigers Opening Day Roster
While much of the attention this spring has understandably been on guys like Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark, it's names like Lee who entered camp with a realistic chance to be on the Opening Day roster if they performed.
He had not done anything remarkable in his 14 plate appearances so far with a slash line of .231/.286/.308 and was going to have to go on an impressive run in order to have a real shot. After a full season in Toledo last year however and Detroit's third base depth issues, it stands to reason he would be one of the first names up.
If Lee is indeed out for a big chunk of spring -- which seems likely -- his eventual return to Toledo is likely inevitable.
Which Tigers Prospect is Next Up After Lee's Injury?
In terms of who could benefit and step into the next man up role that Lee had, it's hard to see anyone but Max Anderson in that spot. Both Triple-A infielders who can play second or third base if needed and both on the doorstep of a big league debut, the pair was certainly being compared in camp.
Anderson has not done much with the bat yet this spring either, but if he is able to turn it around and get a little bit hot, he could certainly find his way on the 40-man roster and wind up being elevated after a very impressive 2025 season across Double-A and Triple-A.
Lee's status will be monitored closely, but Anderson would certainly help himself out a ton if he can get something going over the next couple of weeks
Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.