Detroit Tigers: Beau Brieske is the spare arm as things stand

Detroit Tigers have Beau Brieske in the stable.

While the Detroit Tigers have begun building their starting rotation for the 2023 season, there is still reason to believe that more changes could come. There is a ton of time left in the off-season, but the way things stand, the Tigers have Beau Brieske as the "odd man out" or the "extra body" for the rotation.

The Detroit Tigers saw Brieske emerge in the starting rotation last summer, doing quite well. The team's rotation had far too many injuries to count, and Brieske could settle into the big leagues quickly and do quite well.

Eventually, he ended up catching the injury bug with bursitis that sent him to the Injured List (IL) for the remainder of the season. When the Tigers announced medical updates on players who ended the season on the IL, Brieske was announced as healthy once again.

The 24-year-old right-hander made his debut and put together a solid performance. Though the season ended early, it leaves plenty to be excited about moving forward. Brieske finished 2022 with 15 starts, accumulating 81.2 innings pitched.

Brieske pitched to a 4.19 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP, keeping the opposition at bay. He may have only had 54 punchouts during the 2022 season, but he was able to limit the hard contact and find ways to induce weak contact and record outs.

The Tigers need to see this and realize he proved he can hang at the big league level. While he may be relegated to Toledo to join the Triple-A squad to start the season, Brieske should get chances in 2022 if the Tigers need a spot starter.

The way the rotation is looking, he's the sixth man on the depth chart. With some other veteran depth likely to be added before Spring Training, even if it's some non-roster invitees, some more bodies will likely be added to the mix.

However, Brieske's performance in 2022 warrants chances in 2022. While his stats are not amazing, they were pretty great for a guy who made the jump to the big leagues for the first time this summer. The Tigers can keep him in their back pocket as the spare arm for the 2023 rotation.

The Tigers thrived with the "next man up" strategy in 2022, and now Brieske will be one of those guys again in 2023. He will be one of those called upon when the Tigers need an arm.

After showing he can pitch in the big leagues in 2022, he could look to come back and make the most of his starts when called upon.