Tigers Prospect Franklin Perez Back In Action Tuesday Night – Day After Return Of Beau Burrows

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Photo credit © Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

As far as health goes, it's been an encouraging couple days in the Tigers farm system. 

Beau Burrows, who's set to arrive in Detroit later this summer, returned Monday night after missing nearly two months with a shoulder impingement and fired four shutout innings for High-A Lakeland. He should be in Triple-A Toledo shortly. 
And Tuesday night, Franklin Perez will pitch for just the second time this season after battling shoulder tendinitis since spring training. He'll also make his return with Lakeland. 

.@tigers RHP Franklin Perez has been activated from the Single A Lakeland injured list and is scheduled to start tonight at St. Lucie.

— Detroit Tigers Player Development (@RoadtoDetroit) June 18, 2019

Perez, 21, was the prize of the Justin Verlander trade, but injuries have slowed his rise. He missed most of last season with lat and shoulder issues. He's made a total of eight appearances in Detroit's system. 

He made his 2019 debut for Lakeland in May, and looked sharp over four innings. But he wound up back on the IL shortly thereafter. 

Still, Perez is one of the more promising young arms in the game. He ranks No. 3 among the Tigers' prospects, per MLB Pipeline, and No. 64 overall. If he can stay healthy -- and now is the time to start proving it -- he projects as a solid big-league starter. 

The same goes for Burrows, the Tigers' No. 6 prospect. He pitched well over his first few starts in Triple-A this season, before regressing and landing on the IL. He had a 5.32 ERA with 26 strikeouts against 11 walks in 23 2/3 innings. 

Along with fellow righty Kyle Funkhouser, Detroit's No. 10 prospect who recently returned from an injury himself, the Tigers hope to call up Burrows sometime after the All-Star break. 

"My hope is that those two guys get back to Toledo doing what they’re supposed to do, what they’re capable of doing, and if that’s the case you’ll probably see them up here at the Major League level later in the summer," general manager Al Avila said earlier this month. That is our plan."

Assuming all goes well for Perez, his next promotion will be to Double-A Erie. He's yet to pitch beyond A-ball during his time with the Tigers, but he fared well in seven appearances with the Astros' Double-A affiliate prior to the trade in 2017.