Tigers top prospect earns starting rotation spot, but not in the way fans had hoped

The Detroit Tigers made a flurry of roster moves over the weekend that included Kerry Carpenter's surprise activation off the injured list and Keider Montero's demotion to Triple-A Toledo. But one of the moves they didn't make deserves just as much attention.

In choosing to option Montero – and not fellow right-hander Troy Melton – to Triple-A, the Tigers effectively solidified Melton's status as a permanent member of their five-man starting rotation. While certainly a vote of confidence for the 24-year-old rookie, the Tigers' decision was still a rather surprising one following his rocky Major League debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Fans were hoping he at least earned the spot, rather than it fall into his lap because somebody else has been that much worse.

The Pirates roughed Melton up for six runs in his first three innings, including a solo homer by Andrew McCutchen and a grand slam by Spencer Horwitz. Ultimately, the damage was done and the hole was too deep for the Tigers to dig out of, but Melton showed great resilience and didn't allow a run over his final two innings of work to close out his debut on a high note.

Tigers top prospect Troy Melton earns starting rotation spot, but not in way fans had hoped

While Melton didn't have the Major League debut that he (or the Tigers) had hoped for, the back half of his outing clearly made Detroit feel confident enough to add him to the rotation moving forward.

Melton's 2.72 ERA with nine walks and 56 strikeouts across 36 1/3 innings in eight games for Triple-A Toledo this season also indicate that he is ready for the challenge facing Major League hitters. While on the surface it may sound risky to give an unproven rookie an extended runway to be evaluated at the Major League level during a critical playoff chase, the worst-case scenario is that the Tigers end up moving Melton to the bullpen and let him unleash his fastball from there in late-inning scenarios during the postseason.

The best-case scenario, though, is that Melton continues to improve and solidify himself as one of the Tigers' top five starting pitchers. Either way, Melton has an opportunity to continue to prove himself beginning with his next scheduled start on Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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