LOS ANGELES — Detroit Tigers prospect Ryan Kreidler has been sidelined indefinitely with a fractured right hand.
“He’s going to be out for a while,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Friday. “He’s going to go see a specialist. My understanding is it’s not a simple break, so he’s got to talk to some experts. He’s going to be out of action for a good bit.”
The 24-year-old infielder — playing for Triple-A Toledo and expected to make his MLB debut at some point in 2022 — will undergo surgery, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press. The date of Kreidler’s hand surgery, the source said, has not yet been determined.
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“They took precautionary X-rays, which turned into the worst-case scenario of a broken hand,” Hinch said. “Surgery is still on the table. I think that’s why he’s going to see doctors and see what’s next for him.”
Kreidler suffered the break in the eighth inning Tuesday against the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Right-hander Brad Peacock, a 10-year MLB veteran, plunked Kreidler with his third pitch of the plate appearance.
In the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game, Kreidler crushed his fourth home run of the season. He was also hit by a pitch in the second inning, facing Triple-A Omaha starter Daniel Mengden. After the second hit-by-pitch, Kreidler stayed in the game on the bases, but he did not take the field for defense in the bottom half of the inning.
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The Tigers placed Kreidler on Toledo’s seven-day injured list Wednesday.
Kreidler is hitting .246 in 18 games for the Mud Hens, posting two doubles, four home runs, 12 RBIs, three walks and 22 strikeouts. He also has four stolen bases in five attempts.
The 6-foot-4 right-handed hitter is the Tigers’ No. 7 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He was selected out of UCLA in the fourth round of the 2019 draft and emerged as a top prospect in 2021.
Last season, Kreidler hit .270 with 22 home runs, 58 RBIs, 56 walks and 158 strikeouts across 129 games for Double-A Erie (88 games) and Triple-A Toledo (41 games). For the Mud Hens in 2021, he hit .304 with seven homers, 24 walks and 39 strikeouts.
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