Jackson Jobe deserves surprising MLB fast track after dominant minor-league return

Tigers top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe hit a pretty major bump in the road in May, when he went onto the 7-day IL with a hamstring injury. It interrupted a 10-inning scoreless streak and seven-inning hitless streak for Jobe in Double-A, and it turned out that he'd need a lot more than seven days to return.

His last start before injury was on May 1, and he didn't come back until July 5 after three rehab starts in Single-A. That first start was excellent but not as spotless as his previous two; he pitched five innings and gave up three hits and one run, but he also struck out eight batters. In his next turn up, he went five innings again and gave up two hits but no runs, and struck out eight again.

The Tigers have said that their goal is to get him to 100 innings in Double-A this season, but maybe they should consider moving him along a little faster. The big league rotation has already taken a hit with Kenta Maeda being moved to the bullpen, and Jack Flaherty is expected to be traded away for prospects at the deadline. Now seems like exactly the right time for the Tigers to put Jobe on the fast track.

Tigers should heavily consider fast-tracking Jackson Jobe after blow to the major league rotation

The Tigers called up Keider Montero in the wake of an injury for Casey Mize on July 3, but they're back down to four pitchers in the rotation with Maeda moving to the bullpen, and could be down to three if Flaherty leaves the Tigers get prospects in return. Another call up for Matt Manning seems sort of inevitable, despite his struggles at both levels, but after the deadline that could still leave Detroit at four men.

This team isn't going to be in buy-mode at the deadline, and they certainly won't be in the running for any of the high-profile, expensive starters expected to be available on the market. So they'll need to look for internal options instead, and none of their Triple-A starters look especially appealing at the moment.

It wouldn't be totally implausible for the Tigers to move Jobe up to Triple-A as soon as possible, let him get a few starts in there, then pull him up to the majors. The Dodgers just did the same with one of their top pitching prospects Justin Wrobleski, who spent all of 10 1/3 innings in Triple-A after getting promoted before he was getting a big league nod.

If there was ever a time to give a prospect a clear runway to the majors, it's right now. Jobe has been making his job look easy in Double-A, so why not put him to the ultimate test in Detroit?