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Detroit Tigers right-handed starting pitcher Jackson Jobe will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the remainder of the 2025 Major League Baseball season, the club announced on Wednesday.
Jobe has been sidelined since late May with a strained flexor tendon in his pitching elbow. Tommy John surgery typically entails a recovery period of 12 to 18 months, which means Jobe will miss at least a significant portion of the 2026 season, as well.
The 22-year-old Jobe, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft, entered this season as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. In 10 starts for Detroit this season, Jobe pitched to a 4.22 ERA (95 ERA+) with 39 strikeouts and 27 unintentional walks in 49 innings. While Jackson had not performed optimally across those 10 starts, his tremendous upside gave the Tigers a potentially valuable presence in the rotation behind ace and reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. The loss of Jobe means that Sawyer Gibson-Long will likely remain in the Detroit rotation for the time being.
Looking ahead, Alex Cobb (hip) is on minor-league rehab assignment, and Jose Urquidy, who’s working his way back from June 2024 Tommy John surgery, recently threw a 20-pitch bullpen. As well, Reese Olson (finger) will soon throw a bullpen. Reinforcements are on the way, barring any setbacks. That said, lead decision-maker Scott Harris in response to the loss of Jobe may seek out rotation depth leading up to the July 31 trade deadline.
As for the Tigers, they enter Wednesday’s slate of games with an MLB-best record of 44-24 and 8.0-game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.