The Detroit Tigers have been more open about their injury reports since Scott Harris took over as president of baseball operations. And Thursday’s report was a gut punch to fans of Detroit’s minor-league system.
Jackson Jobe, Detroit’s top draft pick in 2021, is out three-to-six months with lumbar spine inflammation. And that’s not all.
Here’s a Tigers minor league medical update. Jackson Jobe will be sidelined for three to six months and Nieporte will be having Tommy John surgery. pic.twitter.com/HdpKsMSpsG
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) March 16, 2023
We don’t need to revisit the controversy surrounding the Jackson Jobe draft pick. He’s a tremendously talented young man, but there are reasons why most teams shy away from drafting high-school pitchers early. If all goes well, Jobe could be looking at a return to pitching some time around July. If things don’t work out, he could be facing a lost season.
That’s certainly not ideal for a pitcher who was much more raw than the previous Tigers administration told fans. He needs professional reps, and now he’s going to lose some very important innings. But perhaps even more concerning is the nature of his injury. Lumbar spine inflammation is a slightly more scientific way to say low back pain. It’s not a shoulder, which is fortunate, but back injuries have a habit of recurring. For now Tigers fans are left to hope this is a one-time issue.
Dillon Dingler Dinged
Catching prospect Dillon Dingler has been one of the more conspicuous absences in spring training. He saw action in two games late in February, but fans haven’t seen him since. Now we know why. Dingler had a right knee meniscectomy on Tuesday. That is to say, he had some or all of his right meniscus removed.
As knee injuries go, this one isn’t a huge deal. Then again, knees seem to be pretty important to catchers. The Tigers suggest he’ll be ready to resume baseball activity in mid April, which probably means a return to games sometime in May.
Dillon Dingler with the backpick to end the 10th inning. @Greg_Gania on the call. pic.twitter.com/Cuv2IDA5F6
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 22, 2022
The other bad news concerns reigning Eastern League MVP Quincy Nieporte, who underwent right UCL reconstruction (Tommy John Surgery) on March 1st. While this isn’t quite as damning for the Detroit Tigers, it’s certainly bad new for Nieporte and Toledo. He was a huge part of Erie’s run to the Eastern League championship series last year, and the 28-year-old was expected to be a key cog for the Mud Hens in 2023. Recovery from Tommy John isn’t typically as long for position players as it is for pitchers, but the odds of Nieporte playing this year are very slim.
Quincy Nieporte hits a HUGE 3-run bomb to give the @erie_seawolves a 5-2 lead. And he enjoyed it. pic.twitter.com/ujLYWQDsUK
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) September 23, 2022
It’s a tough day to be a fan of Detroit Tigers prospects and minor leaguers. But injuries are an unfortunate part of the game. We at TMLR hope for a speedy recovery and a productive return to game action for all of these young men.
Rogelio Castillo 
Jerry McKennan