Tigers left fielder Troy Stokes, Jr. underwent surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his hand, manager Ron Gardenhire announced earlier this week (h/t to Evan Woodbery of MLive). He is expected to miss the entire season.
This explains Stokes’ omission from the Tigers’ Summer Camp player pool. He remains on the 40-man roster, although it seems only a matter of time before he’s transferred to the 45-day injured list.
Originally a fourth-round pick of the Brewers in 2014, Stokes became a prospect of some note with his original organization. On his way up the minor-league ladder, Stokes offset high strikeout rates with a fair number of walks and an enticing combination of power and speed. Unfortunately, he struggled in his first crack at Triple-A in 2019, hitting .233/.341/.385 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
It’s brutal news for the 24-year-old Stokes, whom the Tigers claimed off waivers from Milwaukee last September. He has yet to make his MLB debut but looked to have a shot at cracking a young, uncertain outfield in Detroit this season.
Troy had a good spring training and was one of the last players optioned off the 40 man roster in March. He’ll be transferred to the 45 day injured list to open a spot for Michael Fulmer to be reactivated.
You still writing over at BYB?
Does the hamate bone injury seem to be more prevalent than in years past, or is it just publicized more?
More prevalent. This tends to damage a players career. I imagine it requires surgery
It’s common. Most players bounce back in six to eight weeks. Some players can still have pain for months after, but they bounce back. Only career ending if there is nerve damage after surgery and that occurs less than 1% of the time.
He’s got a dirty shirt! A good sign.
Damn, that’s unfortunate, I think he can still be a great player, I loved watching him come up with the Crew and I thought he could’ve stepped into the majors as a 4th OF last season.
Elite speed with + power potential despite his size, if he can fill the numerous holes in his bat he should still be a legit major leaguer.