Detroit Tigers: Zimmermann set to begin rehab assignment in Toledo

The road to recovery seems to be nearly over for Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann.

It has been nearly two months since right-hander Jordan Zimmermann started a game on the mound for the Detroit Tigers. In his last start on April 25th in Boston against the Red Sox, Zimmermann left the game with elbow soreness after throwing three innings and has been on the IL ever since.

However, the Tigers announced on Thursday that Zimmermann is officially ready to begin his rehab assignment, where he will spend some time with Triple-A Toledo. The 33-year-old will throw in his first competitive game since April as he is set to start on the mound for the Mud Hens against Durham Thursday night.

With Michael Fulmer out for the entire season, Zimmermann was expected to be the ace in the Tigers’ starting rotation for 2019. The righty did get off to a hot couple of first starts but suffered four consecutive losses before going on the IL, causing his record for 2019 to currently sit at 0-4 with a 5.93 ERA.

In Zimmermann’s absence, Matthew Boyd has stepped up to become the closest thing Detroit has to an ace currently in the rotation. Rookie Spencer Turnbull has also helped the team stay afloat with his fair share of solid starts and entering himself in the AL Rookie of the Year conversation.

Getting Zimmermann back in Detroit would do a whole lot of good for the team’s pitching staff. Although he was certainly not at the top of his game to begin 2019, just having Zimmermann’s arm back in the rotation means less worrying about inexperienced starters or bullpen days for manager Ron Gardenhire.

It’s seemed like forever since Tigers fans have gotten to see Zimmermann on the mound, and the likelihood of him returning soon is a huge positive for the starting rotation. Hopefully, all goes well for Zimmermann down in Toledo and he can get back to form in the big leagues as soon as possible.