One Thing the Tigers Have to Watch With Troy Melton
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The Detroit Tigers made the tough decision in trading back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal this trade deadline, but with the trade comes a new wave of young pitchers Detroit looks to build on.
One of those young arms that stepped up once Skubal was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and even while Skubal was in the Tigers' threads, was Troy Melton. Melton quickly began gaining momentum as one of the most underrated starting pitchers in Major League Baseball.
In 20 starts this season, Melton recorded a 2.76 ERA over 114.1 innings, with a 1.13 WHIP and striking out 94 batters while walking 37. July was by far his most impressive month, as he posted a 0.92 ERA in five starts and led the Tigers to victory in each game. However, as the season progressed, a recurring injury began to affect the young Tigers pitcher.
The Tigers Have to Watch Melton Over This
As some may remember, Melton wasn't healthy to begin the 2026 season due to right-arm inflammation. Melton was shut down during the spring to ensure the inflammation wouldn't lead to anything concerning. Detroit activated the 25-year-old near the end of May after getting the first month off.
When Melton was on the mound, he was dominant from his first start well into the summer. However, when looking at his final month of 2026, Melton began to look gassed, posting a 7.79 ERA in September, walking nine compared to 14 strikeouts.
Detroit announced that Melton would be placed on the 15-day IL due to right-arm fatigue, ending his season before he could potentially injure himself. However, it was Melton's second right-arm issue in one season, leading to the question of whether the Tigers should be concerned.
In his 36 career starts, Melton has proven he has the stuff to be a mainstay in the Tigers' rotation, but the front office and training staff can't ignore the recurring right-arm issues. Perhaps it comes down to a tweak in how he's throwing, but Detroit may not want to adjust a powerful arm that can touch triple digits.
The worst-case scenario for Melton and the Tigers is that his arm doesn't heal this offseason and he might have to get Tommy John surgery. The best-case scenario is that he just needs to rehab his arm to rebuild strength and can avoid any long-term time on the injured list.
After Jackson Jobe missed time due to Tommy John surgery and the Tigers didn't have Reese Olson this past season due to shoulder surgery, the Tigers can't have another young starter miss time. The offseason becomes important for Melton to prove his arm shouldn't be an issue moving forward, or, if it is, improve it as quickly as possible so the rotation isn't significantly impacted.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.