The Tigers' top two pitching prospects are coming north to Detroit.
A.J. Hinch announced Friday that Casey Mize has made the team and will join Tarik Skubal in the big-league rotation.
Mize secured the job on Thursday with his best performance of the spring, striking out nine batters without issuing a walk in four innings against the Blue Jays.
So Detroit's rotation to begin the season will feature Matthew Boyd, Jose Urena, Julio Teheran, Skubal and Mize.
Hinch also announced Friday that Michael Fulmer will start off in the bullpen. Not a big surprise after Fulmer's two best outings of the spring came in relief, including Thursday when he held the Jays to one run over four innings while striking out seven and walking one.
With both decisions, Hinch said the Tigers were prioritizing their long-term interests.
"We think Mize has continued to pitch better than his numbers indicated in the spring," Hinch said. "And last night I do think he proved to himself more than he needed to prove to us that working in the strike zone is much more advantageous to him than kind of dancing around it and trying to get his outs that way.
"And Fulmer, I think we found something with him pitching out of the 'pen. I don’t think his days starting are over, he’s likely to start games for us at some point … but both guys have turned the corner in their individual ways of helping our team right now. This is more of a conversation about the longer view of the spring and what we think is best for our team moving forward."
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Another newcomer to the Tigers' bullpen: Derek Holland. Hinch said the veteran lefty has made the team after pitching seven scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts and one walk this spring.
As for which reliever gets the ninth, that remains to be seen. Hinch said he won't name a closer before the opening series of the season, which kicks off April 1 at home against the Indians.