Detroit Tigers injury update: Jackson Jobe making progress in return from hamstring injury

Detroit Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, is making his way back from a left hamstring strain.

The 21-year-old suffered the injury May 1 on the 45th pitch of his fifth start. He took a few days off from throwing before beginning the rehabilitation process. He is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday, the next step in his return to Double-A Erie.

Jobe is the No. 10 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, as well as the Tigers' No. 1 prospect.

The Tigers did not share any information about a timeline for Jobe's return to the SeaWolves.

"I don't want to put an exact date on it, but I'll be back soon," Jobe said Monday on "The Call Up - A Prospect Podcast," when asked about his recovery. "I feel good. Everything has been going well. Just got to keep grinding for a little bit longer."

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In 2024, Jobe owns a 2.16 ERA with 10 walks and 24 strikeouts across 16⅔ innings in five starts for Double-A Erie. (He posted a 2.82 ERA with 11 walks and 103 strikeouts across 79⅔ innings in 20 starts last season.)

The Tigers expect Jobe to throw at least 100 innings this season, his third year in the minor leagues. The Tigers selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft.

Josue Briceño suffers PCL sprain

Low-A Lakeland catcher Josue Briceño — one of the best pure hitters in the lower levels of the minor leagues — suffered a right knee injury May 5 while running the bases during a game. The 19-year-old has been diagnosed with posterior cruciate ligament sprain.

The timeline for his return from the PCL sprain is unclear.

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Briceño, who also plays first base, is hitting .306 with two home runs, 15 walks and 17 strikeouts in 28 games for the Flying Tigers, spanning 126 plate appearances.

Other notable injury updates

• Right-handed reliever Wilmer Flores (right shoulder AC Joint sprain), a member of the 40-man roster, injured his shoulder May 12 and is scheduled to throw a bullpen Saturday. He has a 6.04 ERA with 19 walks and 19 strikeouts across 22⅓ innings in 13 relief appearances with Triple-A Toledo.

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• Right-handed reliever Brendan White (right elbow inflammation), also a member of the 40-man roster, injured his elbow May 8. He began a throwing program this week. His season has been a disaster, posting an 8.53 ERA with 10 walks and five strikeouts over 6⅓ innings with Low-A Lakeland (three games), Double-A Erie (one game) and Triple-A Toledo (three games).

• Right-handed reliever Freddy Pacheco (right elbow sprain) is throwing bullpens twice weekly. He is well on his way to beginning a rehab assignment in the near future as part of his return from Tommy John surgery. Once healthy, Pacheco will make his way into Triple-A Toledo's bullpen and could help the Tigers this season.

• Infielder Carson Rucker (left shoulder labrum repair) underwent surgery this week after injuring his shoulder while sliding on the bases May 9, ending his season. He hit .385 with zero walks and five strikeouts in four games in the Florida Complex League, spanning 16 plate appearances. Four of his five hits were doubles. The Tigers selected Rucker in the fourth round, at No. 107 overall, in the 2023 draft out of high school.

• Right-handed reliever Blair Calvo and outfielder TJ Hopkins also underwent left shoulder labrum surgery. Calvo suffered his injury while throwing a bullpen May 7; Hopkins suffered his injury while making a diving catch May 7. Both players have MLB experience and were placed on the full-season injured list.

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 injury update: Jackson Jobe making good progress