Bryce Rainer, the Tigers’ No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 28 overall, is heating up.
Rainer on Wednesday clobbered his first home run since being promoted to High-A West Michigan, highlighting a 2-for-3 day for the shortstop in a 4-3 loss to Dayton at LMCU Ballpark. The 11th overall pick in the 2025 Draft, Rainer now has a hit in five of his past seven games, an RBI in four of his past five and multiple hits in three games since April 25.
In a left-on-left matchup to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning, Rainer sat back on a hanging breaking ball and shot it the opposite way, carrying over the wall in left field. It gave West Michigan a 3-1 lead at the time before Dayton rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth.
COMPLETE TIGERS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Rainer’s day started with a full-count, opposite-field single in the first inning that scored a run. He also walked in the second and grounded out in the fifth.
After starting the year with a couple of quiet weeks with Single-A Lakeland, Rainer is up to a .244/.320/.400 slash line in 12 games with West Michigan, including two doubles, a triple and Wednesday’s home run.