The Detroit Tigers are desperately trying to get back on track after losing eight of their last nine games, including a weekend sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals.
They’ll begin a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays in Detroit on Monday night. Detroit enters the series at 61-69, while Tampa Bay currently owns the best record in the American League.
Ahead of the series, the Tigers officially announced all three of their starting pitchers via MLB.com.
Tigers Announce Probable Starting Pitchers
Monday: LHP Framber Valdez (8-8, 4.35 ERA, 111 strikeouts) vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen (13-5, 3.01 ERA, 138 strikeouts)
Tuesday: RHP Jackson Jobe (1-1, 4.50 ERA, 11 strikeouts) vs. LHP Ian Seymour (9-4, 4.17 ERA, 123 strikeouts)
Wednesday: RHP Troy Melton (7-2, 1.60 ERA, 76 strikeouts) vs. RHP Freddy Peralta (5-11, 5.33 ERA, 129 strikeouts)
Rays @ Tigers Pitching Matchups:
Drew Rasmussen vs Framber Valdez
Ian Seymour vs Jackson Jobe
Freddy Peralta vs Troy Melton
— Jake (@TBRaysCentral) August 24, 2026
Detroit has had to adjust its rotation since trading two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this month.
Despite losing its ace, the Tigers still rank among the better rotations in baseball by the numbers. They currently own a 3.56 team ERA, a 1.21 WHIP and 945 strikeouts.
Keider Montero leads Detroit with eight wins, while Skubal still leads the team with 116 strikeouts despite leaving the organization earlier this month. Veteran closer Kenley Jansen leads the Tigers with 13 saves.
Looking at the Tigers
Detroit climbed all the way back to two games below .500 and firmly into the playoff mix before this recent skid.
However, the American League has remained wide open this season. Even at eight games below .500, the Tigers sit just 7.0 games back in the AL Central and 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox currently hold two of the AL’s three Wild Card spots, while the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians are tied for the final spot at 65-66.
Detroit Tigers Announce Starting Pitchers for Series Against Rays