The Detroit Tigers have pushed themselves back into the American League Central conversation, and now they get another chance to keep climbing. After taking two of three from the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park, Detroit turns right around and opens a three-game divisional set against the first-place Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
That latest step forward came Thursday, when the Tigers blanked Cleveland 3-0 behind Keider Montero and a bullpen effort from Tyler Horton and Kenley Jansen. The trio combined to shut out the Guardians without recording a strikeout, a tidy ending to a series that helped Detroit move out of the basement and into the wildcard race.
Friday’s opener brings a fresh layer of intrigue because both starters have already seen this opponent. Jackson Jobe gets the ball for Detroit in just his second appearance since coming back from Tommy John surgery. The 24-year-old was excellent in his season debut against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, working five innings of one-hit, shutout ball with one walk and four strikeouts in an 8-0 Tigers win.
Chicago counters with left-hander Sean Newcomb, who is making only his second start of the 2026 season. His first start also came against Detroit, back on June 20, when he fired three perfect innings with four strikeouts in a game the Tigers still won 4-1 at home.
Newcomb has already faced Detroit twice this year. On May 29 in Chicago, he worked 2 2/3 scoreless, hitless innings out of the bullpen, allowed one walk and struck out three, and the White Sox went on to win that game 4-3 in extras.
That sets up Friday night’s series opener at Comerica Park with a pair of pitchers who know exactly what the other side looks like.
In Other News...
Tigers Suddenly Face An Outfield Question After James Outman Scare
A tense moment in Cleveland turned into a roster complication for Detroit when James Outman took a 94-mph fastball off the chin from Guardians left-hander Erik Sabrowski. Outman stayed in the game at first, but symptoms showed up later, leaving the Tigers to sort through the immediate fallout from a scare that had already put their outfield depth under a little more strain.
The next move came quickly, with switch-hitting utility man Trei Cruz headed up from Triple-A Toledo to give the club another option. For a team trying to keep its lineup stable, the timing matters, especially with the situation around Outman still unfolding and the Tigers left waiting to see how long they may have to adjust without him. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Bullpen Could Get A Trusted Arm Back At Perfect Time
The Tigers have spent much of the 2026 season searching for steadiness at the back end of the bullpen, where inconsistency has crept in around Kenley Jansen and Kyle Finnegan and Will Vest remains sidelined after surgeries. Against that backdrop, Brant Hurters progress matters more than it might have in a healthier relief mix. The left-hander has been on the 60-day injured list with lumbar spine inflammation, but he has started rehab work with the Toledo Mud Hens and is getting closer to a return.
Hurters latest step came in a scoreless inning for Toledo, a clean outing that kept the door open for a quick move back to Detroit. MLB.coms injury report says he could be activated soon, with the White Sox series mentioned as a possible landing spot, and there are also upcoming games against the Pirates and Royals on the calendar. For a bullpen that has needed dependable innings wherever it can find them, even a modest rehab timetable carries some real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Javier Baez Is At The Center Of Detroits Latest Lineup Shift
Javier Baez is taking another unusual turn in a career defined by versatility, starting in left field for the Tigers against the Guardians for the first time in his MLB career. It is the latest reminder of how much Detroit has leaned on Baezs ability to move around the diamond, with his background at shortstop, second base and other outfield spots giving the club some flexibility when the lineup calls for it.
Baez has been in left field before, but this is the first time the Tigers have written his name there at the start of a game. For a team that has already used him in a variety of roles, the move adds another layer to how Detroit is piecing things together as it looks for the right mix on a given night. [Read more 🡒]