Former Tigers starter set for Blue Jays debut after long layoff

Former Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Spencer Turnbull was recalled by the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday and is on the verge of making his 2025 debut.

Turnbull signed with the Jays last month after a prolonged wait in free agency that stretched into the regular season.

Turnbull signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies before the 2024 season and pitched well before suffering what turned out to be a season-ending injury in a June 26 start against his former team in Detroit.

The 32-year-old right-hander went 3-0 with a 2.65 ERA in 54 1/3 innings last season, striking out 58 and walking 20. While most expected him to land another one-year deal this winter, he remained unsigned for months.

The Tigers selected Turnbull in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of the University of Alabama. He debuted in 2018 and became a regular in the rotation in 2019. On May 18, 2021, he threw the Tigers’ first no-hitter in a decade.

The Tigers declined to offer Turnbull a contract for 2024 after a strange 2023 season. The Tigers twice attempted to option Turnbull to Toledo. Both times, the options were rescinded due to injury, allowing Turnbull to accrue a full year of service time.

“Last year was really hard. Not a lot of fun. And it wasn’t how I would have liked things to end here in Detroit,” Turnbull said before his start last year in Detroit. “It wasn’t my choice for things to go down that way. It just kind of happened.”

It’s not clear if Turnbull will start or pitch in long relief for the Jays. His results in the minors have not been encouraging as he works to build up his arm following the late signing. In five starts across two levels, he has a 7.13 ERA in 17 2/3 innings, with nine walks and 14 strikeouts.