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Detroit Tigers SS prospect Bryce Rainer set for right shoulder surgery, ending 2025 season
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- Detroit Tigers SS prospect Bryce Rainer set for right shoulder surgery, ending 2025 season
The 2025 season is over for Bryce Rainer .
Rainer — the No. 3 prospect in the Detroit Tigers ' farm system, according to MLB Pipeline — is set for right shoulder surgery, ending his season. The Tigers expect him to be a full participant in 2026 spring training.
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The 19-year-old injured his right shoulder on the bases while diving back into first base on a pickoff attempt in the fourth inning Tuesday, June 3, playing for Low-A Lakeland. He received multiple opinions from doctors about how to proceed after dislocating his right shoulder, then he elected for surgery.
The right shoulder is his throwing shoulder.
MORE ABOUT HIM: Bryce Rainer solves Tigers' shortstop problem if available in 2024 MLB draft
Detroit Tigers prospect Bryce Rainer plays in a game with Low-A Lakeland.
In 2025, Rainer hit .288 with five home runs, 20 walks and 33 strikeouts across 35 games for Low-A Lakeland, posting an .831 OPS. He took the field for 227 innings on defense, all at shortstop. His average exit velocity was 92.1 mph, which would rank among the top 50 MLB players.
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He is considered the Tigers' shortstop of the future.
125 epic seasons with the Detroit Tigers
A similar injury occurred to current Tigers second baseman/first baseman Colt Keith on June 9, 2022, when he played for High-A West Michigan. Like Rainer, Keith damaged his right shoulder diving back into first base during a pickoff attempt.
"I felt it come back out and go back in," Keith said.
Keith was diagnosed with a labrum injury.
But he didn't need surgery.
He rehabbed the shoulder and returned to games in four months.
"Sometimes, labrum surgeries go south and you don't come back (with normal range of motion)," Keith said in November 2022 , when asked about avoiding shoulder surgery. "That was definitely a possibility. I was freaking out."
Keith watched the video of Rainer's injury on social media.
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He wants to talk to Rainer to offer support.
"Mine definitely hurt, but his might've been worse," Keith said.
"That sucks," Keith added.
The Tigers selected Rainer with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2024 draft out of Harvard-Westlake High School in California. He signed with the Tigers for a $5.8 million bonus .
Rainer ranks as the No. 47 prospect in baseball, as listed by MLB Pipeline's top-100 list .
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bryce Rainer injury: Detroit Tigers prospect to get shoulder surgery
