Tigers Are Starting to See What They've Been Waiting for From Jackson Jobe
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The Detroit Tigers sure aren’t having the season anyone had hoped for, but every team in Major League Baseball still has something to play for in the final weeks of the season. The Tigers are not an exception.
Jackson Jobe is likely one of the biggest reasons why these weeks are so important.
Detroit’s 24-year-old right-hander made his sixth start since coming back from Tommy John surgery on Sunday against the Cleveland Guardians. The Tigers ultimately suffered yet another brutal 3-2 walk-off loss in 10 innings, but Jobe gave fans something to be positive about.
He allowed two runs on four hits across five innings while walking two and striking out a season-high seven.
For a pitcher who is still working his way back from a 14-month recovery, his performance mattered a lot more than the final score.
Jobe Fought Back
Truthfully, Jobe’s start didn’t begin very well.
Cleveland opened the bottom of the first with consecutive doubles before Jobe got it together and issued back-to-back walks. He needed 27 pitches just to get out of the inning and everyone thought he was headed for an early exit.
That’s not what happened. It’s like someone flipped the switch.
Jobe retired 12 consecutive hitters after struggling through the first. He even struck out the side in the second. His only other significant mistake was in the fifth inning when Brayan Rocchio hit a game-tying solo homer.
Jobe finished the evening with 93 pitches, but the most important thing he did that night was fight back. He recovered after he struggled, and that’s important to a team that needs something to look forward to.
No, Jobe hasn’t answered every question that surrounds him, or this team, or the future.
His overall numbers still prove that there is work to do.
Through six starts, he is 1-2 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.41 WHIP over 28.1 innings. He has struck out 26 while walking 12 and has also surrendered five home runs.
Those are not numbers that automatically grant him a spot in the 2027 rotation.
Tigers Need to See What They Have
Jobe had Tommy John surgery in 2025, and that effectively cut short his rookie season, where he had only made 10 starts.
He finally returned to the Majors on August 8 after 14 long months of recovery. Now the Tigers have to see what they possess. It is important for them to find out if he can regain his command, stay healthy, and produce major-league-level results consistently.
Sunday offered a glimpse into what all that might look like.
Jobe Could Make September Matter for Tigers
The Tigers are running out of time. They fell to 65-78 with Sunday’s loss and the worst part of the story is that they have gone 5-17 since August 14. Things don’t appear to be getting better, either.
That changes the narrative of what September should look like for this team.
The first priority now should be to start finding some answers about what this roster will look like in 2027.
Jobe can provide a meaningful answer.
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Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. with her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer along with being a life-long sports fan. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NFL, and WNBA. Laura covers the Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Rodeo for On SI. You can reach her at lauralambertmedia@gmail.com