The bullpen in Detroit, notorious for its occasional nosedives, needs all the help it can get.
A reliever at Double A Erie is all but untouchable this season. His talent is, and always was, considered elite by a Tigers team that signed him three years ago out of Puerto Rico.
Tigers students wonder why there’s a reluctance to ship Joe Jimenez and his whopping fastball to Detroit when the skilled 21-year-old right-hander has done nothing but crush hitters.
“He’s clearly dominating levels he’s pitched at,” said Dave Littlefield, Tigers vice president for player development. “We understand that.