LAKELAND, Fla. -- Tigers No. 4 prospect Josue Briceño said he expects to miss “a few months” after undergoing surgery to repair the extensor carpi ulnaris subsheath in his right wrist.
The injury is a blow to the development of one of the best all-around hitters in the Tigers farm system, and MLB Pipeline’s No. 40 prospect overall.
“Briceño had surgery and will be out for a bit,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
The extensor carpi ulnaris subsheath is a structure that stabilizes the ECU tendon on the pinky side of the wrist. According to the National Institutes of Health, subsheath tears are a common injury involving stick sports, and happen with sudden, forceful or repetitive rotational movements of the wrist.
Briceño said Friday morning he suffered the injury on a swing in his last Spring Training game on Feb. 28. He reported the injury after the game and embarked on a series of examinations from three hand/wrist specialists, including in Arizona and Philadelphia.
COMPLETE TIGERS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Briceño, back in Tigers camp on Friday with his right forearm and wrist in a cast, is staying in good spirits under the circumstances. He expects to be back by midseason.
“It’s OK,” Briceño said. “I enjoyed this time with these guys [in Major League camp]. It’s good.”
While Briceño was not a candidate for Detroit’s Opening Day roster, this was a big camp for the 21-year-old catcher/first baseman as a non-roster invite to push his timetable. He split last year, his age-20 season, between Double-A Erie and High-A West Michigan, batting .266/.383/.500 with 20 home runs and 76 RBIs in 100 games between the two stops.
Briceño made an impression in camp, including a home run off a Tarik Skubal slider during live batting practice a couple weeks ago. He batted 2-for-12 with a double and two RBIs in six games. Briceño was expected to return to Erie to begin the season and continue to work on his swing while also honing his catching skills.
While Briceño’s injury likely doesn’t impact Detroit this season, it likely means more time behind the plate for Tigers No. 7 prospect Thayron Liranzo, who spent all of last season in Erie but did not catch in a game from the end of July until season’s end due to injuries. The 22-year-old has also had a solid camp, including impressive progress behind the plate, but appears likely to return to Erie while veteran backup Tomás Nido and No. 25 Eduardo Valencia split catching duties at Triple-A Toledo.