Tigers' Jackson Jobe to return after 14-month recovery from injury

Seattle — Jackson Jobe looked around the clubhouse Tuesday and couldn’t help but feel his age.

“Yeah, I’m like the old guy now,” he said, laughing, looking around and seeing Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark over in the corner. “I feel like I was 21 just a few days ago.”

He just turned 24. But he’s packed a lot of life into the years since he debuted as a 21-year-old in 2024.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself as a person,” said Jobe, who is expected to make his season debut this weekend in San Francisco, finally back from Tommy John surgery. “The game was taken away from me and I had to figure out my identity away from the game, which was really good for me, to be honest.”

He had the surgery in June of 2025, after he went 4-1 with a 4.22 ERA in 10 starts. Making it back in 14 months says a lot about his commitment to the process and desire to reclaim his role in the Tigers’ rotation.

“I think it was a blessing in disguise, going through that,” he said. “I believe everything happens for a reason. God has a plan for us and that was a part of my plan. And I definitely believe I came out better on the back end of it. I’m excited to see what it looks like.”

So are the Tigers, who after trading Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, suddenly found themselves down two starters. Drew Anderson, who will transition back to the rotation, started in Mize’s place Tuesday night.

Jobe, who made five rehab starts, but three of them against A-ball hitters, is built up to four innings and 70 pitches.

“We will responsibly stretch him out,” manager AJ Hinch said. “He’s not quite at full-throttle. But given where we’re at and where he is in his recovery, we’re going to use his innings.”

Jobe, the Tigers first-round pick and third overall in 2021, has come through the rehab process much stronger. He’s fully grown into his 6-2 frame and he has been hitting 100 mph with his fastball. But he’s been more pleased with how the feel on his secondary pitches has come back.

“The strike-throwing feels pretty good,” he said. “Just the two-strike execution and being able to be more perfect when I need to, that’s been the last thing to come. But I am in a much better position than I expected to be, feel-wise. I felt like with every rehab start, I got better and better.

“I’m starting to feel normal.”

Jobe got the news that he was going to be activated Monday night and he was on an early flight from Detroit to Seattle Tuesday. That’s after making rehab starts in four different states.

“I don’t know if it’s really hit me yet,” he said. “I got here like two hours ago. It hasn’t truly hit me but I am really grateful to be back.”

Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com

@cmccosky

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers’ Jackson Jobe to return after 14-month recovery from injury