The Tigers are going to move Tarik Skubal into a scheduled piggyback role for his next couple of outings, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. The Tigers could do the same with Casey Mize at some point during this season. Manager A.J. Hinch views the piggyback option as a way to avoid shutting down or demoting Skubal and Mize as they work with innings restrictions for their young hurlers.
The move, Hinch was careful to note, is not a demotion. Skubal has a 6.08 ERA in 13 1/3 innings so far this season, allowing 11 hits, four home runs, and nine walks against 12 strikeouts. The home runs are a concern, but Skubal also has a 15.0 percent groundball rate, a number that is sure to rise over time. Per the Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen, Hinch said, “It’s not an indictment on where he’s at in our rotation or what we think of his first few starts. But it’s the plan we’re gonna put in place to be smart about our pitching resources throughout a six-month season.”
Skubal’s move to the pen actually comes prompted by a bit of good news: Spencer Turnbull will return to the rotation for his first start of the season on Wednesday. Turnbull had his season debut delayed because of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in spring. The 28-year-old is coming off a strong 2020 in which he posted a 3.97 ERA/3.49 FIP over 56 2/3 innings. It was the first time Turnbull saw his ERA match his typically strong FIP. Turnbull will join Matthew Boyd, Mize, Jose Urena, and Michael Fulmer in the rotation, at least in the short-term. Detroit’s rotation has already lost Julio Teheran to injury after the veteran got the win in his first start as a Tiger.
When Turnbull joins the roster, another roster move will follow. McCosky suggests a pitcher will likely be demoted, with Joe Jimenez being one possibility. The 26-year-old right-hander has just two appearances so far this season, but he’s off to a rough start. The former All-Star has walked seven of 10 batters this season while being charged with five earned runs (despite not yielding a base hit). In fact, with two strikeouts also on the ledger, only one batter has put the ball in play with Jimenez toeing the rubber, an Aramis Garcia ground out. Both of Jimenez’s appearances this season have come against the Athletics. The Tigers will likely wait to make an official roster move until much closer to Turnbull’s Wednesday start.
Joe Jimenez has fallen off haaard
He’s lost over 1 MPH of velocity off of his fastball and has way less spin on his slider as well. Wonder what happened. He never had any big injury and he’s still only 26 years old.
I’m guessing it’s a work ethic thing. His body has never been great and has only gotten worse.
Jiminez Never Fell off… He’s been brutal since day 1. He may have had a 10 appearance stretch in which he was slightly above average. That’s it.
With the MiLB season yet to start, and the possibility of future injuries, it makes sense to keep Skubal in Detroit and stretched out as a starter. There isn’t a particularly good alternative at this point.
The alternative was to put both Mize and Skubal down this year and have them start at the alternate site. But Fulmer wasn’t looking like a rotation piece out of spring training and that plan would have been busted when Teheran went down. Also both pitched well in spring and earned this. IF the Tigers really are serious about managing their innings, the only other alternative right now is a 6 man rotation. And there are enough off days right now that probably isn’t the best option. So far we haven’t lost a game to weather but that could change this week. But at some point unless there are more injuries they will go to a 6 man rotation.
Mize was as good as I’ve seen him in his last start. And, Fulmer, too.
Tigers set Jimenez up for failure. He clearly has struggled and deserved to be demoted. He has to work some things out, but has had little time to do so at the alternate site. He should go down and be left there for some time to work things out. Should have brought up Funkhouser if they really needed a pitcher and honestly, I don’t think they did. No real sign the bullpen was overworked.
I think Jimenez’s problems are in his head. And, I think you are right in that he should have been demoted, but the 2020 minor league season was canceled. He does need to spend the big part of a season down there to regain his confidence. Plus, its better that he works it out down there instead of screwing up a bunch of big league games.
He just never got over losing his job to Cisnero and/or Soto.
I remember when Jimenez made the All Star team with a decent first half of the season. He has been pretty terrible since being named to the team. But he was quoted as saying “now that I have figured out how to pitch in the big leagues” right away I saw that and thought that is not his attitude as he has a lot of learning ahead of him.
Joe Jiminez should not have been an all-star in 2018. He was the worst player on both teams. Nicholas Castellanos was the best choice as the lone Tiger representative. Matthew Boyd was the best pitcher at that time but still it was a stretch to call him an all star even with DET lack of defense and run support.
Is Burrows still in their future plans?
absolutley not, beau hasn’t shown that he could do anything remotely useful since he was 20. He’ll be DFA’d by November
You realize who they passed up when they drafted Burrows….Walker Buehler and Mike Soroka
What rotation
I think they should sign Porcello. I think he’d be a great influence on Skubal.
They’d be better off bringing Kenny Rogers back.
That would be a bit of a gamble….
I’d imagine teams are gonna start getting interested in boyd again. Teams like the jays, red sox, Phillies, and angels are all looking for durable starting pitching.
I agree, especially since he’s a lefty. He seems to have found a groove and maybe that continues. The last few years really had me convinced he was headed in the very wrong direction, especially since he started regularly giving up the home run ball.
Pull the trigger before it’s too late this time though. Detroit has a history and not selling high and when finally selling getting nothing back because it’s a must sell now situation. Love the Tigers but I dont like Al Avila. It’s hard to miss on top draft choices so what has he done or gotten for Verlander, JD, etc. our best prospect currently playing SS was for a mediocre at best OF Martin
Not sure why you want to get rid of Boyd. He’s a great guy and a pretty good pitcher as well. I’d like to see him in Detroit for a long time!
coming from a die-hard Tigers fan… one who loves Boyd… I’d much rather have a 24-25 year old MLB level position player than a 30-year-old Boyd. Think adames, chavis, or haseley plus low-level prospects. With our plethora of pitching prospects plus turnbull, boyd will soon become expendable
Like Tigers2022 said, do you trust that Al Avila would get anything even remotely better or even equal for Matthew Boyd? If he could, would the Tigers be able to develop them? I’m confident that the answers are no and no.
Three weeks into the season Al Avila says: “Let’s shut 2/3 the rotation down now…”
Trade them all for Reyes, he’s still going to be the best pitcher in baseball.
Has the season started? For those of us, that cut the cord, its hard to tell.
Matt Boyd is actually pitching well so far. Urena has been his usual self. Teheran has had one good start. Wonder if any of these three finsh the season in Detroit…
Maybe have Mize and Skubal share some starts with each guy going 3-4 innings.