Detroit Tigers' promising young right-hander, Jackson Jobe, will undergo Tommy John surgery, effectively ending his 2025 season and likely sidelining him for a significant portion of the 2026 season. The team announced this disappointing news on Wednesday, confirming that the surgery will be performed on his right UCL by Dr. Keith Meister, team physician and orthopedic consultant for the Texas Rangers. Jobe, who entered 2025 as the top pitching prospect in baseball, was already on the 15-day injured list due to a flexor strain.

Jobe, 22, was the third overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft and was a unanimous top-five prospect entering the current season. Widely regarded for his exceptional talent, MLB Pipeline grades Jobe as having four plus pitches, highlighted by a high-velocity fastball that can touch the high 90s and averaged 96.1 mph this season, placing him in the 81st percentile in the big leagues according to Baseball Savant. He made the Tigers' big-league club out of spring training.

The path to surgery began when Jobe was placed on the 15-day IL at the end of May with what was initially diagnosed as a Grade 1 strain of the flexor tendon in his right elbow. This followed his final start on May 28 against the San Francisco Giants, where his fastball velocity noticeably dropped from around 97 mph to the 91-92 mph range by the fifth inning. "When he came out of his outing, he reported that he had a little bit of soreness," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch stated at the time. Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg explained, "As is standard process in our medical evaluation process, we sought additional evaluations. Through that evaluation process, a UCL injury was also discovered. From there, there were a series of conversations between Jackson, the doctors and the medical staff, and ultimately surgery was determined as the path." Greenberg added, "It’s obviously really disappointing news. Really feel for Jackson... He’s going to work through this. He’s a very determined individual."

Before the injury, Jobe had made 10 starts in his rookie season, compiling a 4.22 ERA with a 1.49 WHIP. He had made his major league debut at the end of the previous season, contributing two scoreless outings during the Tigers' improbable run to a wild-card postseason berth, where he also pitched 1⅔ innings, yielding three runs.

Jobe's absence is a significant blow to the Tigers' present and future, despite the team boasting the best record in baseball at 44-24 and leading the AL Central by eight games. Detroit possesses one of baseball’s best pitching staffs, led by 2024 Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, along with Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize. The team's starting pitching ranks third in MLB in both ERA (3.08) and WHIP (1.13). However, fellow promising right-hander Reese Olson is also currently on the injured list, adding to the team's pitching challenges.

While Jobe shares a last name with Dr. Frank Jobe, the renowned orthopedic surgeon who pioneered Tommy John surgery, the team confirmed there is no relation. The exact date for Jackson Jobe's operation by Dr. Meister had not yet been scheduled at the time of the announcement.