Is Detroit Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle MLB ready? Geoff Pontes evaluates
On “Days of Roar” podcast, Baseball America prospect writer Geoff Pontes evaluates if Kevin McGonigle is ready for his MLB debut in the 2025 season.
KANSAS CITY, MO — Two players are slated to join the Detroit Tigers on Monday, Sept. 1, for the opener of a three-game series against the New York Mets at Comerica Park as MLB rosters expand from 26 to 28 players for the month of September.
The newcomers: designated hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy and right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation granted anonymity because the roster moves are not official. Both players could be short-term additions, as the Tigers plan to keep shuffling their roster throughout the final month of the season.
The Tigers promoted Malloy and Gipson-Long from Triple-A Toledo.
Both players previously made their MLB debuts, with Gipson-Long in September 2023 and Malloy in June 2024.
Joining the Tigers, Malloy — a right-handed hitter — has been used as a weapon off the bench as a pinch-hitter against left-handed pitchers, but he projects to be in the starting lineup for Monday’s game, facing Mets left-hander Sean Manaea.
The Tigers don’t have a starter listed for Tuesday’s game against the Mets, with Gipson-Long projected to pitch — either as a traditional starter or as a bulk reliever. Therefore, the Tigers could call up a reliever for Monday’s game, then option him to active Gipson-Long for Tuesday’s game.
The roster moves (and the pitching plan) won’t be official until before Monday’s game.
Malloy, 25, hit .317 with eight home runs, 50 walks and 62 strikeouts in 66 games for Triple-A Toledo, registering a .934 OPS. He spent most of his time with the Mud Hens at first base and right field on defense to continue his development, but the Tigers typically use him at designated hitter.
Earlier in 2025, Malloy hit .208 with one homer, 19 walks and 31 strikeouts in 46 games for the Tigers, including a stretch of 45 games from the last day in March to the first day in June. He had a .620 OPS in those 46 games.
In 2025, Gipson-Long, 27, has registered a 4.32 ERA with four walks and 20 strikeouts across 25 innings in six games (two starts) for the Tigers. After his most recent MLB opportunity, he logged a 3.52 ERA with three walks and nine strikeouts over 7â…” innings in three games (two starts) for Triple-A Toledo.
It’s been a comeback season for Gipson-Long.
He returned to the Tigers in June 2025 after a 13-month rehab process from two surgeries: right elbow surgery in April 2024 and left hip surgery in July 2024. Before returning, he hadn’t pitched in the big leagues since September 2023.
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The Tigers (80-58) enter Monday’s game with a 9½-game lead over the Kansas City Royals in the American League Central. As the AL Central leaders, the Tigers are sitting a half-game ahead of the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays and 4½ games ahead of the AL West-leading Houston Astros. The top two division winners earn a first-round playoffs bye.
There are 24 games remaining in the 2025 season.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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