Tigers fans won't believe where former pitcher Spencer Turnbull just ended up

As the Detroit Tigers continue to implode this season, it may be more fun for fans to think about the past or some other time and place rather than the current iteration of the team.

Fans may not have thought about pitcher Spencer Turnbull in a hot minute, and he just ended up in a pretty unlikely place — specifically, the Cerveceros de Tecate in a regional league in Mexico.

Turnbull just made his debut with the team and was solid, pitching 2 and 1/3 innings while striking out five batters. Still, it’s an odd place for him to resurface when he last pitched in the big leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays last season. 

Tigers fans will remember Turnbull from his tenure with Detroit from 2018 to 2023. In his time with the Tigers he appeared in 61 games and had a 4.55 ERA in just over 300 innings pitched. He was not a dominant ace by any stretch, but he was a solid pitcher and had a very memorable moment with his no-hitter back in 2021.

Ironically, Turnbull's best season with the Tigers may have come in 2019 when he had a very lopsided record of 3-17. That obviously had more to do with the team than with him, but he had a 4.61 ERA in 30 starts. That’s the only big league season that he’s been mostly healthy for, as injuries have limited his availability for much of his career.

Turnbull is trying to claw his way back to the big leagues after struggles

After his time with the Tigers ended, Turnbull joined the Philadelphia Phillies. The 2024 campaign was a solid one for him, as he had a 2.65 ERA in 54 1/3 innings of work. He struck out 58 batters and walked 20, and it seemed like he may be headed in the right direction until an injury derailed him in June.

Turnbull signed with the Blue Jays in 2025 and made a couple of appearances with Toronto but was let go after posting a 7.11 ERA. He bounced around a bit after that, signing minor league deals with the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals but struggled with both clubs.

Now, Turnbull is looking to find his form again in Mexico. It’s not a bad strategy, although usually pitchers go overseas to Japan or Korea to get back on track. Cody Ponce showed how lucrative that path can be, as he pitched great in the KBO for years and cashed in with a big contract with the Blue Jays this offseason.

Perhaps Turnbull can do something similar but in Mexico. If the 33-year-old can prove that his stuff hasn’t left him completely then there should be a team out there willing to take a shot on him. The main thing for him is staying healthy, because Tigers fans know how good he can be when he’s on his game.

If Turnbull can stay on the mound, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him back in the big leagues fairly soon.

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