Kevin

McGonigle

McGonigle got the Tigers on the board and tied the score at a run apiece in the fourth inning as he clobbered a Luis Castillo slider for a 420-foot (109.4-mph EV) solo shot to right field. He couldn’t come through when the Tigers needed him in the seventh though, as he flew out to shallow left field with the potential tying run on third base with only one out. He quickly atoned for that in the ninth as he smacked a two-out, two-run single into right field off of Mariners’ closer Andrés Muñoz to deliver a walk-off victory. The rookie infielder is now slashing .291/.394/.426 with four homers, 24 RBI and nine stolen bases on the season.

Torres is hitting .538 (7-for-13) with one homer and three RBI in three games since returning from the injured list earlier this week. The 29-year-old second baseman appears poised to continue leading off for Detroit with rookie star Kevin McGonigle hitting second.

McGonigle had a day off on Tuesday but will be right back in the lineup today. The rookie took a bit of a step back in May but still hit .238 with 16 runs scored, seven steals, and an 18/16 K/BB ratio in 27 games.

McGonigle receives his first day off since May 4. The 21-year-old hitting machine has dealt with the usual ebbs and flows that accompany life in the majors as a rookie, but he’s been a fantasy force, hitting 285/.390/.407 with 38 runs scored, three homers, 21 RBI and nine steals across 59 games. Gleyber Torres is at second base in his return from the injured list with Zack Short handling shortstop and Zach McKinstry at the hot corner.

McGonigle smacked a one-out single into right field in the opening inning and raced around to score on an RBI double off the bat of Spencer Torkelson. He also walked in the third inning and swiped second base before being stranded there. The 21-year-old rookie infielder has been a shining light in an otherwise dismal season for the Tigers, slashing .286/.390/.410 with three homers, 21 RBI and nine stolen bases.

McGonigle’s two-run triple in the fifth inning tied the game 4-4. The 21-year-old infielder had three hits total and was on base four times in the loss. He’s hitting .291 with an .822 OPS. McGonigle has four home runs, 33 runs scored, 21 RBI and eight stolen bases.

The rookie infielder is up to three homers and eight thefts this season. His plate discipline has been excellent with more walks than strikeouts, and the lack of homers is the only thing keeping him from fantasy stardom. McGonigle continues to shift between shortstop and third base while maintaining a top-three spot in the lineup since April began.

McGonigle started the game with a bang, launching the very first pitch from Keegan Akin for a 394-foot (101.9 mph EV) solo shot that gave the Tigers an early 1-0 lead. It would be short lived. It was also McGonigle’s only hit in four at-bats in the contest. The 21-year-old rookie infielder is now slashing .285/.393/.419 with three long balls, 17 RBI and seven stolen bases through his first 219 plate appearances in the big leagues.

McGonigle is still getting on-base at an above-average rate, but he’s hitting just .182 (8-for-44) with one extra-base hit and five stolen bases in 12 games since May 1. The 21-year-old top prospect’s rookie campaign is off to a phenomenal start overall, but he’s going through a bit of a rough patch recently. It’s a small sample size with arbitrary end points, but it’s still worth noting. His minor-league track record suggests he’ll turn things around rather quickly, especially since his plate skills remain pristine during this latest cold spell.

After facing some adversity for the first time at the big league level, McGonigle has his average back up to .300 and is riding a three-game hitting streak. The 21-year-old shortstop was on base three times and stole his sixth base in Tuesday’s loss to the Mets. He was stranded on the bases all three times as the Tigers managed to record 10 hits but only scored two runs.