Detroit Tigers sign Drew Maggi to minor league contract, assign him to Triple-A Toledo
The Detroit Tigers needed infield depth in Triple-A Toledo, so they signed Drew Maggi, a 35-year-old infielder from the State Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League, an independent league.
Maggi — who spent 13 seasons in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023 — has been assigned to the Mud Hens after Thursday's signing with the Tigers, his eighth organization in affiliated ball.
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The Tigers signed Maggi after Mud Hens infielder Eddys Leonard — a member of the 40-man roster — landed on the injured list Wednesday for the second time this season. Leonard suffered a left oblique strain in early April, but for this late June injury, the Tigers haven't provided any details.
Mud Hens infielder Jace Jung is also on the injured list with right wrist soreness, but Jung is in the early stages of a return-to-play program. He was recently cleared for baseball activities following a visit to a hand specialist.
So, the Tigers picked up Maggi to fill the infield void at the Triple-A level.
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For the FerryHawks, Maggi hit .235 with three home runs, eight walks and 18 strikeouts across 29 games, spanning 113 plate appearances. He played both second base and shortstop, but he also has experience at third base.
Maggi played three MLB games for the Pirates in the 2023 season, making his debut April 26. He hit .333 (2-for-6) with one double, zero home runs, zero walks and one strikeout. Before and after, Maggi had a .181 batting average with zero homers, nine walks and 27 strikeouts in 36 games with Double-A Altoona.
Following the MLB debut, the Pirates outrighted Maggi in May and released him in July.
A base hit 13 years in the making. pic.twitter.com/SLQuoZU0lD
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 30, 2023
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers sign veteran Drew Maggi to minor league deal
