Jobe fans 5 in latest rehab start, could be nearing 2026 debut

While the Tarik Skubal era in Detroit is over, and Casey Mize could be soon to follow, the Tigers could be welcoming a potentially nasty starter back soon.

Jackson Jobe tossed four innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts Sunday afternoon in his rehab start for High-A West Michigan.

Jobe, whose four previous rehab starts included two last week for Double-A Erie, had been scheduled to start for Triple-A Toledo before a chance of rain prompted the Tigers to move him to West Michigan. The Tigers usually make that kind of move if they want to keep a player, particularly a pitcher, on schedule for a timely return.

The Tigers should have enough starters, counting Ty Madden, to get through their upcoming series at Seattle, even if they trade Mize. But they would need to add help for Friday’s series opener at San Francisco.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch seemed to temper that anticipation Sunday afternoon in his pregame comments with reporters, including MLB.com’s Theo DeRosa, before the Tigers’ series finale against the Athletics.

“I think the volume is really the big key,” Hinch said. “We want [Jobe] to be fully ready to start in the big leagues before we consider it, so he's got to still build his pitch count. ... And no Minor League inning is the same as a Major League inning.

“So I'm not sure when he's going to be available to us, but we've got to keep that separate to the calendar around the [Trade] Deadline or the rotation questions and things like that. When he's ready, he's going to be ready. And until that point, we're going to keep focusing on what he needs to do in rehab, which is build volume, continue to throw strikes, compete as opposed to rehab, things like that. Today's another step in that direction.”

Jobe built up volume, throwing 69 pitches, 44 for strikes. His four innings matched his output last start for Erie, when he threw 54 pitches.

Jobe, about 14 months removed from Tommy John surgery, looks potentially ready for big league competition. He overcame a leadoff single with back-to-back strikeouts – including a 99 mph fastball past Marlins No. 5 prospect Starlyn Caba -- in a scoreless first inning, then rebounded from back-to-back two-out walks in the second to strand the bases loaded.

Jobe’s velocity is back; he threw at least three fastballs of at least 100 mph, topping out at 100.4 according to West Michigan broadcaster Dan Hasty. Just as important, he mixed in his spin and offspeed pitches with confidence. He started Caba with three consecutive breaking balls to open the third inning before fanning him on a 98 mph heater.

Jobe froze another batter on a changeup in the first inning. His final strikeout came on a pitch-timer violation to end the fourth.

Jobe began his rehab assignment on July 7. Pitchers are generally allowed a maximum of 30 days to complete rehab assignments, but under the current CBA, there’s an exception for pitchers returning from Tommy John to allow them to get “up to three consecutive 10-day extensions of his rehabilitation assignment, with the approval of the Commissioner’s Office and the [MLB Players] Association.”