Detroit Tigers prospect Jackson Jobe explains pitching development
Detroit Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe joined the “Days of Roar” podcast to talk about his MLB debut in 2024 and his expectations for 2025.
Detroit Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe continues to recover from Tommy John surgery.
The 23-year-old is expected to return to the Tigers as a starting pitcher at some point in the second half of the 2026 season. He last pitched for the Tigers on May 28, then he underwent surgery June 16 to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
The Tigers are counting on Jobe in 2026.
“We expect him to be back in 2026,” president of baseball operations Scott Harris said Monday, Dec. 8, at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida. “It’s hard to forecast the actual date, but we expect it to be a boost for our roster in the second half.”
Before the injury, Jobe – the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft – registered a 4.22 ERA with 27 walks and 39 strikeouts across 49 innings in 10 starts in the 2025 season. He ranked in the fourth percentile with a 12.4% walk rate and the 17th percentile with a 17.9% strikeout rate. He needs to generate more whiffs when he returns to full health.
For now, Jobe remains focused on recovering from Tommy John surgery.
“He’s starting his program,” manager A.J. Hinch said Monday, while sitting next to Harris.
Jobe is scheduled to initiate a return-to-play throwing program at some point during the week of Dec. 14-20. He should be playing catch multiple times per week when pitchers and catchers report Feb. 11 to spring training, barring any setbacks.
He could pitch for the Tigers in August.
“I would rather him pitch the entire season,” Harris said, “but it’s nice to have a boost in a rotation typically at the time where you need to fill out a rotation due to injuries and underperformance and all those things that happen. If there is a blessing in it, it’s that.”
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Reese Olson injury update
Right-hander Reese Olson was set to initiate a return-to-play throwing progression this week, returning from a right shoulder strain. The shoulder injury forced him to miss the final two months of the 2025 season, but he didn’t undergo surgery.
In 2025, Olson posted a 3.15 ERA with 25 walks and 65 strikeouts across 68â…” innings in 13 games. The 26-year-old also spent six weeks on the injured list with right ring finger inflammation.
When healthy, Olson is the second-best starter in the Tigers’ rotation behind left-hander Tarik Skubal. He should be ready for spring training as long as he doesn’t experience any setbacks.
The problem: He has suffered a right shoulder strain in each of the past two seasons.
Gleyber Torres injury update
Second baseman Gleyber Torres – who accepted the one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer from the Tigers – has been cleared to complete all baseball activities, including his normal offseason training.
The 28-year-old is fully recovered from an Oct. 31 sports hernia surgery.
In 2025, Torres hit .256 with 16 home runs, 85 walks and 101 strikeouts across 145 games, making the All-Star Game for the third time in his eight-year MLB career.
His approach at the plate sharpened during his first season with the Tigers: After averaging a 9.1% walk rate and 20.3% strikeout rate from 2018-24, he increased his walk rate to 13.5% and decreased his strikeout rate to 16.1% in 2025.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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