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The Tigers have the best record in all of baseball, but they received some gut-wrenching news mid-game against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. We’re getting just a small sample size of Jackson Jobe’s talent as his rookie season comes to an end prematurely.

Detroit’s former first-round pick will undergo season-ending elbow surgery (Tommy John). He is expected to miss most of the 2026 season as well.

Jobe pitched 49 innings this year. He struck out 39 and walked 27 batters. His season ends with a 4.22 ERA, 5.11 FIP, and 1.490 WHIP.

This news comes hours after Scott Harris’ comments about the team being buyers at the trade deadline.

“I think we’re preparing to add to this team in July, but we’ve got to keep playing well to put ourselves in a position to do that,

In my opening press conference, I set out to build through development and create a critical mass of young players that can help us win at this level, but also are going to stay together and play together for a long time. I think we have that at the big leagues,

We’re going to do everything we can to try to win the World Series this year. But there’s a real feeling here that we’re hopefully going to keep doing our jobs, keep playing at a really high level, and have multiple opportunities to try to win the World Series.”

Scott Harris via 97.1 the Ticket interview.

We are a month and a half away from the MLB trade deadline making waves, but it’s already on the mind of Scott Harris, President of Baseball Operations in Detroit.

Adding some arms to the roster was already intriguing, but now it’s a need. With Jobe’s absence, the Tigers lose a pitcher from their five-man rotation. Unfortunately, Alex Cobb does not appear to be getting closer to returning as he battles his hip injury. It’s uncertain when, or if, he’ll make his Detroit Tigers debut.

Below are some names to keep an eye on as the Tigers look for some pitching help at the deadline.

Jake Bird, RHP, Rockies

The Colorado Rockies are having a terrible season and are one of, if not the worst team in baseball. They will look to get a good return from any players that are playing at least decent baseball.

29-year-old right-hander Jake Bird isn’t just playing decent baseball, he’s been sensational this season. No, he’s not a starter, but you can’t have enough bullpen arms. Although he doesn’t necessarily replace Jobe, he could still bring a lot to the Tigers pitching staff.

Bird has already appeared in 28 games and has pitched 38.1 innings in 2025. He has 50 strikeouts and 15 walks in that span. Bird’s ERA sits at 1.41 currently, and he has a 2.13 FIP & 1.070 WHIP.

He’s allowed just one earned run over 13 appearances since May 7 (16 innings) for a 0.56 ERA.

Tyler Anderson, LHP, Angels

Tarik Skubal is the only lefty in the Tigers rotation. Tyler Anderson could become the second.

The Angels’ southpaw has pitched 70 innings in 13 games and has a 57/27 strikeout/walk ratio. Anderson has a 3.99 ERA, 4.77 FIP and 1.314 WHIP this so far this season.

He’s had a few rough outings lately, but Anderson had a 2.04 ERA in six starts between April 12th and May 11th. The Angels are lingering a bit in the wildcard picture, but with a 32-34 record and a roster that doesn’t look like a playoff team, I think it’s likely that they are sellers in July.

Merrill Kelly, RHP, Diamondbacks

Arizona could have a veteran rental on the table to slot into the Tigers’ recently opened up spot in the rotation.

Merrill Kelly has pitched 82 innings in 14 games this season. The experienced starter has 79 strikeouts and 21 walks in that span. He has a 3.18 ERA, 3.22 FIP, and 0.988 WHIP.

Kelly is 3-1 with a 2.37 ERA in eight starts since May 1st. A solid rental for the Tigers.