The Detroit Tigers have been anything but fully healthy this season, notably at the pitching position. Not only has Justin Verlander been limited to only a single game thus far in what will be his final MLB campaign, but Reese Olson was ruled out for the entire season, while Jack Flaherty has also missed considerable time.
Of course, former Tigers ace Tarik Skubal missed several weeks of the campaign after undergoing a non-invasive surgical procedure to remove loose bodies from his throwing arm.
But now, with their season on the brink, the Tigers have lost another starting pitcher due to injury.
Detroit Tigers Starting Pitcher Troy Melton Departs Sunday’s Game Vs. White Sox
The Tigers, who are on the brink of being mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, lost starting pitcher Troy Melton shortly into Sunday’s contest against the divisional rival Chicago White Sox on the Windy City’s south side.
Per Tigers beat writer Jason Beck:
“Tigers starter Troy Melton left the game with an athletic trainer with 2 outs in 4th. What began as a mound visit with pitching coach Chris Fetter eventually included manager A.J. Hinch and assistant athletic trainer Kelly Rhoades. No obvious sign what the issue was,” Beck wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
So far this season, Melton has compiled an 8-4 record with a 2.52 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and 90 strikeouts. He’s already missed time this season, as he was placed on the 60-Day IL because of right elbow inflammation in March; he was eventually activated in late May.
Troy Melton Was Named Detroit’s Rookie Of The Year
Melton, whom the Tigers took in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft, rose through Detroit’s system with Lakeland before progressing to West Michigan and Erie. He’d record a 2.74 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 92 innings between the two levels in 2023.
After a difficult 2024 season that included a late shoulder injury, Melton bounced back in 2025, posting a 2.99 ERA with 101 strikeouts between Double-A and Triple-A.
Detroit called Melton up for his major league debut in July 2025, and it wouldn’t be long before he’d become a reliable option. He went 3-2 with a 2.76 ERA in 16 appearances, including four starts, before making his postseason debut in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Seattle Mariners , allowing only a single earned run over four innings as Detroit won 3-2.
He later was named Detroit Sports Media’s Tigers Rookie of the Year.
On The Brink, Tigers Lose Another Starting Pitcher