BREAKING: Tigers sign veteran infielder due to injuries

The Detroit Tigers have signed Drew Maggi, a 35-year-old infielder from the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League, to bolster their infield depth at Triple-A Toledo. Maggi, who spent 13 seasons in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023, joins the Mud Hens after Thursday’s signing with the Tigers, marking his eighth organization in affiliated baseball.

The Tigers made this move after Mud Hens infielder Eddys Leonard, a member of the 40-man roster, landed on the injured list on Wednesday for the second time this season. Leonard had suffered a left oblique strain in early April, but no details have been provided for his latest injury in late June.

Additionally, Mud Hens infielder Jace Jung is on the injured list with right wrist soreness, though he has been cleared for baseball activities and is in the early stages of his return-to-play program.

Tigers sign veteran infielder from indy league due to injuries in Toledo https://t.co/jaCLNcdWNC

— MLive Sports (@MLiveSports) June 28, 2024

Maggi’s addition fills the infield void at the Triple-A level. While with the FerryHawks, he hit .235 with three home runs, eight walks, and 18 strikeouts across 29 games and 113 plate appearances. Maggi played both second base and shortstop, and has experience at third base.

In 2023, Maggi played three MLB games for the Pirates, debuting on April 26 and hitting .333 (2-for-6) with one double, no home runs, no walks, and one strikeout. Before and after his MLB stint, he had a .181 batting average with no homers, nine walks, and 27 strikeouts in 36 games with Double-A Altoona. The Pirates outrighted Maggi in May and released him in July.