Tigers stay with pitching in sixth round

DETROIT -- Calvin Drummond was the sixth-round selection at 186th overall by the Tigers on Friday, despite not taking the mound this season.

Drummond hasn't pitched in a game this year, but scouts have watched his regular bullpen sessions. His stuff hasn't suffered, and his fastball sits in the mid-90s. He mixes it with a good slider, as well as a curveball and changeup. Drummond has the stuff to be a starter, but he's already 23 and could be fast-tracked as a reliever.

Drummond has had a transient college career and attended four different schools in five years, though he only pitched at two of them. Most recently, he was declared ineligible at San Diego and transferred to Arizona Christian this year, only to find himself ineligible there as well.

"He threw hard for us, which is nice to see, I know it's a bullpen [session]," director of amateur scouting Scott Pleis said. "But he threw hard for us, he's got four pitches -- a curveball and a slider that we thought were above-average pitches and a feel for a changeup. So he had everything we needed to see. He's got size, he's got arm strength; we like the way he does it."

He's been drafted three times in the past -- never higher than the 34th round -- including last year by Oakland, which took him in the 38th round. He held opposing hitters to a .291 batting average with 80 strikeouts in 86 2/3 innings in 15 starts at the University of San Diego in 2012.