Tigers Reveal Probable Starters and Jackson Jobe's Return vs Giants
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The Detroit Tigers made significant changes to the pitching staff at the trade deadline, sending Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Casey Mize to the San Diego Padres. There was a desire to shake up the roster and acquire prospects, and the Tigers did so.
Yet, heading into Thursday's series finale with the Seattle Mariners, Detroit sits 4.5 games back in the division and 1.5 games from a wild-card spot. The postseason is certainly within the Tigers' grasp, but some other pitchers will have to step up.
Detroit will continue its West Coast road trip as they'll take on the San Francisco Giants for a three-game series. Let's take a look at who A.J. Hinch will turn to this weekend, according to Jason Beck of mlb.com.
Game 1: Keider Montero
Keider Montero went from missing the Opening Day roster to becoming one of the most dependable and consistent arms on the pitching staff. The 26-year-old has made a career-high 18 starts and has posted a 3.17 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP.
The righty went to a bullpen role at the beginning of July because the starting rotation was at full strength, but now that it's short-handed the rest of the way, Montero becomes an important pitcher.
He was phenomenal in his last start, throwing six scoreless innings and allowing three base runners. It marked the ninth time Montero has thrown at least six innings in an outing.
Game 2: Jackson Jobe
Saturday marks Jackson Jobe's 2026 season debut after recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 24-year-old will make his first major league appearance since May 28, 2025, against these same Giants.
Jobe threw 4.2 innings and allowed three earned runs in that start. The righty has posted a 1.76 ERA with 17 strikeouts over five rehab outings. He shared his excitement to return to the mound, per Beck.
"I don't know if it's really hit me yet," Jobe said. "I was sitting in Detroit, kinda waiting around to see what was going to happen. I'm just grateful to be back, to see everyone, get back in the swing of things and help the team."
It'll be exciting to see Jobe take the mound, and hopefully he can be a key contributor for the Tigers.
Game 3: Troy Melton
With Skubal and Mize out of the picture, Troy Melton has assumed the "ace" role in the rotation. It may be a tall task for a 25-year-old pitcher, but Melton has answered the call every time this year.
He's posted an astonishing 7-1 record with a 1.58 ERA over 74 innings. Melton has nearly identical numbers over his last two starts: seven innings, three hits, no runs, and two walks.
Melton continues to be a fun story to watch this season. Hopefully, he can end the series on a high note before the Tigers return home for a critical week against the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox.
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Zion Trammell graduated from TCU in 2023 with a degree in sports broadcasting and journalism. He currently writes for TCU Horned Frogs on SI. In addition to writing, he is the play-by-play voice for Southlake Carroll baseball and hosts a TCU show on the Bleav Network. X: @zion_trammell