SAN FRANCISCO — Every pitcher who comes back from Tommy John surgery owes a debt to the late Dr. Frank Jobe, who theorized he could rebuild a torn elbow ligament using a tendon harvested from another part of the body and then saved John’s career with a successful operation in 1974.
On Saturday, a young Tigers right-hander earned the win in his first start back from elbow reconstruction surgery, dominating the Giants over five innings in an 8-0 victory.
While the Jobes were not related by blood, their bond is no less strong. Jackson Jobe joined a roster of thousands who now routinely rehab from the operation that his namesake pioneered.
On a cool and windy afternoon at Oracle Park, Jobe held the Giants to a Willy Adames single and Drew Cavanaugh walk. He reached 71 pitches, close to his preordained workload, before manager A.J. Hinch pulled him in a scoreless game. Tyler Holton and Ty Madden finished the combined two-hitter.
Jobe climbed a Major League mound for the first time since May 28, 2025 with his arm blazing. His first pitch back was a 97.3 mph fastball to the Giants’ Bryce Eldridge. Six pitches later, Jobe fired a 100.1 mph fastball past Eldridge for strike three.
Jobe’s fastball mostly sat between 97-99 mph, but he checked off his other pitch boxes as well. In the second inning Jobe went fastball, slider, changeup to strike out Rafael Devers on three pitches, then caught Christian Koss looking an inning later on a curveball.
Teammates and the staff were thrilled for Jobe, understanding the physical and mental toll a long rehab takes on a pitcher. For the fans back in Detroit, and perhaps even for some in the clubhouse, Jobe’s dominance sent yet another signal that not all is lost on the mound after the front office traded Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize at the Deadline.
“Obviously we just lost two starters and we knew we were getting him back,” catcher Dillon Dingler said of Jobe. “We’re just going to try to keep him where he’s at right now. He’s going to be a huge part for our team down the stretch. We’re really looking forward to what he can bring.”
Jobe said he felt like this game was his second Major League debut. His biggest challenge was not the hitters in the box, but the hours leading up to his first pitch.
“Just not knowing what to do with myself when I got to the field,” he said. “I was excited and I had some good nerves. I was just excited to show everyone what the past 14 months were for and how hard I worked. It’s a good feeling.”
Jobe’s start against the Giants might not have happened had the Tigers not moved Skubal and Mize. The organization was weighing whether to give Jobe another Minor League rehab start or bring him up, Hinch said. The trades suddenly gave the Tigers a need, making the decision easier.
Part of Hinch’s confidence stemmed from how many rehab starts the club had Jobe throw in the Minors (five), which not only allowed him to build arm strength, but also refine a variety of pitches that seemed midseason-ready against the Giants.
“It was a big step to get him back to this level, and he had electric stuff,” Hinch said. “It was almost a perfect outing when it comes to what we were trying to accomplish — five zeros and getting his pitch count into the 70s.”
The five zeros enabled Jobe to qualify for the win when the Tigers scored the game’s first run in the sixth by taking four walks. An inning later, Detroit unleashed a fusillade of extra-base hits, batted around and scored six times.
Zach McKinstry, Dingler and Eduardo Valencia doubled, and Max Clark added a triple before Javier Báez’s infield hit produced the inning’s sixth run. From there the Tigers were able to coast to their sixth win in eight games on a West Coast swing that concludes Sunday. Their past four wins have been shutouts.
Another coincidence, a rather sad one, marked Jobe’s comeback from Tommy John surgery. In New York, as the Yankees celebrated an Old Timers Game on Saturday, the club released a statement from John in which the 83-year-old poignantly and subtly told the baseball world that he has little time left. He is in hospice after enduring bladder cancer.
In his statement, John thanked the Yankees, for whom he pitched after the surgery. He acknowledged the fans and made a point of thanking Frank Jobe for the surgery that extended his career by 14 seasons, 405 games and 164 wins.
