For the third time in as many weeks, the Tigers are calling on a pitching prospect to make his MLB debut.
The club announced Monday that Joey Wentz will start Wednesday's game against the Athletics at Comerica Park. The Tigers are navigating a cramped schedule, including five games in four days against Oakland, with a banged-up rotation.
Through five starts this season with Triple-A Toledo, Wentz has a 4.12 ERA with 26 strikeouts to 10 walks in 19 2/3 innings. Over his last three starts, his ERA is 2.03. He's Detroit's No. 12 prospect per MLB Pipeline.
The 24-year-old lefty was acquired by the Tigers from the Braves in the Shane Greene trade at the 2019 deadline. He quickly flourished in Double-A Erie alongside Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning, but lost a year of development in 2020 to Tommy John surgery.
Wentz made his way back to Erie last season, then jumped to Toledo at the start of this season. Now he's on his way to Detroit, where the Tigers are in need of a boost.
With Mize, Manning and Tyler Alexander all sidelined by injuries, A.J. Hinch and the Tigers have already turned to rookies Beau Brieske and Alex Faedo for help in the rotation. Both have held up well.
Wentz will try to follow suit.
