Speculation ran wild when reports circulated early Saturday morning that the Detroit Tigers were calling up top prospect Jacob Turner from Double-A Erie.
Was he being showcased for major league teams? (That didn’t seem likely. How often does that really happen?)
Was he not being called up to Detroit, but rather taken away from Erie to be included in a trade? (That seemed more feasible.)
Or was Turner just being added to the starting rotation, as he probably gives the Tigers a better option than some of the pitchers — such as the Nationals’ Jason Marquis or Royals’ Bruce Chen — that the team is rumored to be pursuing?
It looks like we have may have some clarity on that. According to CBSSports.com’s Danny Knobler, Turner will get the start for the Tigers on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels. And apparently, this is a spot start for Turner. He’s not being added permanently to the major league rotation.
That calls into question, however, the status of Duane Below, who was originally scheduled to start for Detroit on Saturday.
With rumors that the Tigers are close to a deal with the Seattle Mariners for pitcher Doug Fister, perhaps Turner is replacing someone that will be included in the trade. (That’s the current rumor.) Would Below be replacing Charlie Furbush in Detroit’s bullpen? Is he one of the pieces going to the Mariners?
This season with Double-A Erie, the 20-year-old Turner is 3-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 17 starts. He has 90 strikeouts in 113 2/3 innings, an average of 7.1 per nine innings.