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Here's when Detroit Tigers prospect Jackson Jobe will make his MLB spring training debut
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- Here's when Detroit Tigers prospect Jackson Jobe will make his MLB spring training debut
LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe , one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, is scheduled to make his first spring training appearance Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins .
The game at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland will be televised on Bally Sports Detroit. It marks Jobe's first career appearance in MLB spring training.
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The Tigers have already told Jobe he won't make the Opening Day roster, and he is expected to be reassigned to minor-league camp soon, but he will come back to the big-league side for one or two innings against the Twins.
MORE ABOUT HIM: How Tigers' Jackson Jobe developed into top pitching prospect nearing MLB debut
Detroit Tigers pitcher Jackson Jobe throws during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024.
Jobe, 21, could make his MLB debut in the second half of the season. The Tigers have slowly ramped up his throwing volume with that possibility in mind, while also keeping in mind that he missed the first two-plus months of last season with a back injury .
But Jobe is thinking of his MLB debut, too.
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"I want to impress people, but I don't need to go out there and try to do too much," Jobe said. "I'm a lot more mature in that aspect. I understand that it's a long season. My goal is to pitch in October. February or March is great, but I'll do anything to pitch in October."
For the Tigers in October, right?
"Yeah, 100%," Jobe said.
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Ultimately, Jobe needs to continue his dominant performances in the minor leagues .
He returned from the back injury in mid-June and combined for a 2.82 ERA with 11 walks (3.4% walk rate) and 103 strikeouts (31.7% strikeout rate) across 79⅔ innings in 20 starts last season, spanning five levels from the Florida Complex League to the Arizona Fall League.
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Jobe finished the regular season with one start for Double-A Erie, then transitioned to the AFL for an additional 15⅔ innings across four starts to help offset the time he missed while injured.
It's unclear where the Tigers will send Jobe to begin the 2024 season, but it won't be the big leagues .
Jobe, the No. 3 overall pick in 2021, ranks as the Tigers' No. 3 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline , trailing outfielder Max Clark and second baseman Colt Keith . He ranks as the No. 25 prospect in baseball and the third-best pitching prospect, behind only Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes (the No. 1 pick last summer) and San Francisco Giants left-hander Kyle Harrison .
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Jackson Jobe will make MLB spring training debut
