In 1923, Rigney increased his batting average to .315 with a .389 on-base percentage and 24 doubles, 11 triples, 74 RBIs, and 7 stolen bases. Rigney's strong performance in 1923 was in spite of a hip ailment that plagued him through much of the season. Doctors were unable to determine the cause of the problem, and when the problem returned early in 1924, Detroit manager Ty Cobb sent Rigney to the Mayo Brothers' Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The doctors there were similarly unable to diagnose Rigney's condition until, after a few days, they examined his teeth. The doctors discovered that Rigney had a number of infected molars that had spread poison throughout his system with the poison "making its headquarters in that bum hip." After the extraction of the infected teeth, Rigney's hip problem was cured.