Tigers call up top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe for AL wild-card playoff push

He Detroit Tigers They are calling on the organization’s top minor league arm to help with their push toward the postseason.

right Jackson Jobe will join the major league roster before Detroit begins a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday. With an 82-74 record, the Tigers currently hold one of three American League wild-card spots along with the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals.

Detroit moved into the wild-card race Sunday when the Minnesota Twins lost two games of a doubleheader to the Boston Red Sox, while the Royals were defeated by the San Francisco Giants.

Jobe, 22, compiled a 2.36 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings, making 21 starts while moving up from high Single-A to Triple-A. He was Detroit’s first-round pick (No. 3 overall) in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Heritage Hall School in Oklahoma City. Jobe began the season ranked as the Tigers’ No. 1 pitching prospect. according to MLB.com.

The right-hander and his 102 mph fastball are expected to pitch out of the bullpen for Detroit, bolstering a relief corps that ranks fourth in the American League (and sixth in MLB) with a 3.60 ERA. As a team overall, the Tigers’ 3.64 ERA ranks third in MLB and second in the AL.

To make room for Jobe on their roster, the Tigers designated the veteran pitcher Shelby Miller (4.53 ERA in 51 appearances) for assignment.

Detroit has had an improbable run toward postseason contention over the second half of the season. On August 10, Detroit was 55-63 and 10 games out of the third wild-card spot. They went 14-5 over the rest of the month and have gone 13-6 in September, allowing them to make a significant jump in the standings.

The Tigers begin a six-game homestand to close the season on Tuesday, with three games against the Tampa Bay Rays (78-78) and three against the Chicago White Sox (36-120).