Troy Melton: Everything you need to know

Melton (elbow) yielded two runs (one earned) on two hits and no walks while striking out two batters over 1.2 innings in his rehab start Sunday with Single-A Lakeland. Melton missed nearly all of spring training after straining his right elbow in late February, but he reached the final phase of the recovery process by kicking off a minor-league assignment this past weekend. Since Melton resides on Detroit's 60-day injured list and won't be eligible for activation until late May, he'll likely use close to the entire 30-day rehab window in the minors to get stretched back out. He tossed just 32 pitches in Sunday's outing, and while the results weren't flashy, Melton sported a fastball that sat around 95-to-97 miles per hour and topped out in the 98-to-99 mph range. Melton could stick around in Lakeland for another start or two before eventually moving on to one of the Tigers' higher-level affiliates during his rehab assignment.

Melton (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Lakeland this weekend, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports. Melton has finally been cleared to pitch in games after going down with a right elbow strain back in February. The righty didn't pitch in spring training and is already on the 60-day injured list, so it will be a gradual buildup. The role Melton ultimately fills with the Tigers will depend on how he looks and feels on his rehab assignment and also what the team's need is once the hurler is deemed physically ready.

Melton (elbow) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports. The 25-year-old righty suffered an elbow strain early in spring training and began the season on the 60-day injured list, but he started his throwing program about a month ago and has now resumed mound work. Melton still has significant work to do in his rehab program before beginning a minor-league rehab assignment, so it wouldn't be surprising if he spends more than the 60-day minimum on the shelf.