Tigers may have uncovered key pitching weapon after Thursday's surprise start

It was hard to say what the Tigers would be getting when they called up pitcher Dietrich Enns, an offseason minor league signing who hadn't pitched in the majors since 2021, to make his team debut. He could've come up as either a starter or reliever, having had experience doing both in the minors, but he was on Detroit's June 26 slate as their starting pitcher against the Athletics.

Enns had taken a three-year detour to Japan and Korea after being released by the Rays in 2021. He looked great during spring training with the Tigers and then in Triple-A Toledo, but it was impossible to predict how he'd operate at the major league level.

However, he was almost perfect in his Tigers debut. He pitched five innings and only gave up one hit and two walks while striking out four batters. The only A's batter to reach was Max Schuemann on a softly-hit tapper that Javy Báez couldn't scoop.

The Tigers offense backed him up too, first with a solo homer for Spencer Torkelson, then a two-run double for Jahmai Jones (who continues to bully lefty pitchers), a two-run homer for future 2025 All-Star Gleyber Torres, a bases-clearing, AL-leading triple for Zach McKinstry, and a Jake Rogers sac fly.

Dietrich Enns was almost perfect for Tigers in first MLB appearance since 2021

Enns notched all four of his strikeouts on fastballs. His velocity isn't necessarily anything to write home about, sitting around 93 MPH, but they were perfectly placed and were just missing bats. There really wasn't much a difference between his velocity from his first batter to his last, so the Tigers probably could've left him out for even longer than they did.

If the Tigers continue to use him as a starter, he could be the perfect balm to a hurting rotation. Jackson Jobe has undergone Tommy John and the Tigers would be lucky to get him back this time next year, Reese Olson is still rehabbing (even though he'll be due for a return soon enough), and Keider Montero is back in Triple-A.

Right now, the rotation is really just Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, and Sawyer Gipson-Long (sometimes, as the Tigers have mostly used him as a long reliever), so Enns could fill it out nicely.

The Tigers should probably still look for a starter at the trade deadline, but Enns could be the perfect hybrid arm for the pitching staff to get even deeper for the stretch run and postseason if he can be semblance of his Thursday self.