The Detroit Tigers are set to call up top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe, and the right-hander joins the wild-card contending club in advance of a series against the Tampa Bay Rays with six games remaining in the regular season.
The Tigers announced they are purchasing Jobe’s contract from Triple-A Toledo but did not reveal a corresponding move. The Detroit Free-Press reported that veteran right-hander Shelby Miller will be designated for assignment.
Jobe, who is expected to pitch out of the bullpen over the final week of the regular season, went 5-3 with a 2.36 ERA over 21 starts at three different levels in the Tigers’ organization this season. The 22-year-old made his Triple-A debut Sept. 14 and had a 6.00 ERA in two starts (nine innings) for Toledo.
The No. 3 overall selection in the 2021 MLB draft, Jobe was considered by MLB Pipeline as the sixth best overall prospect in baseball. He was the second-best prospect with the Tigers, behind No. 5 Max Clark, a 19-year-old outfielder at Single-A West Michigan.
Miller, 33, was 6-8 with a 4.53 ERA in 51 relief appearances for the Tigers this season. In 12 major league seasons with nine different clubs, Miller is 47-66 with a 4.11 ERA over 254 appearances (133 starts).
At the start of MLB play Monday, the Tigers were tied with the Kansas City Royals for the American League’s final wild-card spot amid a late-season surge where they have won 11 of their past 14 games. The Minnesota Twins lurk a game back in the AL wild-card standings.
At 82-74, the Tigers have locked down their first winning season since 2014, which was also the last time the club advanced to the playoffs.