Jackson Jobe flashed his triple-digit fastball and showed off strikeout stuff as he returned to game action, a promising sign for the Tigers right-hander in his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
After having his promising rookie season halted after 10 starts in 2025, Jobe made his first rehab start on Tuesday with Single-A Lakeland in a road tilt with Dunedin, the Blue Jays’ affiliate. Jobe completed 1 1/3 innings on 32 pitches (24 strikes), allowed an earned run on two hits and struck out one without issuing a walk.
Jobe touched 100 mph in a live batting practice session on June 27, according to Tigers manager A.J. Hinch. He reached triple digits twice on Tuesday, hitting 100.2 mph on the radar gun on two separate four-seam fastballs. He averaged 98.8 mph on the 14 four-seamers he threw, well above his 96.5 mph average on the pitch in the Majors in 2025. His increased velocity was also noticeable on his sinker, on which Jobe averaged 96.3 mph on Tuesday, 1.1 mph above his 2025 average.
Neither of the two singles Jobe allowed was hit hard -- Blue Jays No. 10 prospect Jake Cook reached on a 56.8 mph infield chopper to start Jobe’s outing, and Juan Sanchez drove him home with a two-out knock at 75.5 mph. In between, Jobe struck out Blaine Bullard on a slider and got Blue Jays top prospect JoJo Parker (MLB Pipeline’s No. 27 overall prospect) to fly out to shallow right-center.
After Sanchez’s RBI single, Jobe retired Adam Hackenberg on a ground ball to second base to end the first inning. He coaxed another groundout to second to start the second inning before being removed, with longer rehab outings likely to follow.
It was an encouraging start for Jobe, who is expected back in the Majors sometime in August. The one-time top prospect’s return will bolster a rotation that lost Reese Olson (shoulder surgery) for the season and has been without veteran Justin Verlander (left hip inflammation) for much of 2026.