The Tigers placed Melton on the 15-day injured list Monday due to right arm fatigue.
While it's unfortunate that Melton's season will end with him on the IL, it's good news that he appears to have avoided any structural issues with his pitching arm. He had a 7.79 ERA in four September starts, so the fatigue could be something that's nagged at Melton for a little while. Even after the poor final month, Melton will finish with a 2.76 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 94:37 K:BB over 114.1 innings covering 20 starts for the Tigers.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Dealing with arm discomfort
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Melton exited Sunday's 8-1 loss to the White Sox in the fourth inning with right arm discomfort, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Melton left the game after recording two outs in the bottom of the fourth frame, and his removal from the contest is now understood to have been due to arm discomfort. Manager A.J. Hinch outlined that Melton was dealing with some "achiness" in his right arm, and the pitcher will undergo further examination in the near future.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Exits early with injury
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Melton (undisclosed) exited his start Sunday against the White Sox in the fourth inning, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Melton left the game after he had allowed the White Sox to take a 3-0 lead on a two-out RBI double by Sam Antonacci, and he was replaced on the mound by Tyler Holton. Another run was charged to his ledger following his departure, so he ended his day having tossed 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four batters. It's unclear what injury Melton suffered, but more information on his status will likely come following the conclusion of Sunday's contest.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Ineffective in short start
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Melton did not factor into the decision in Monday's 6-5 win over the Blue Jays, allowing two runs on five hits across 2.2 innings. He walked four and struck out three.
Melton lacked control and needed 76 pitches to retire only eight batters before getting the hook. He was spared the loss when the Tigers rallied from an early deficit, but it still continued a rough patch for the young righty. In three September starts, Melton has now allowed 11 earned runs across 13.2 innings, raising his ERA from 1.86 to 2.52. It's still been an encouraging campaign for Melton, but he may be running out of gas now that he's logged 110.2 innings this year, which is well above the 45.2 innings he logged as a rookie in 2025. Melton lines up to start again Sunday against the White Sox and then will likely take the ball one more time during the final week of the regular season, though Detroit could decide to shut him down early.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Snaps losing streak Monday
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Melton (8-4) earned the win over Minnesota on Monday, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three batters over 5.2 innings.
Melton looked like he was headed for a quality start when he retired the first two batters in the sixth inning while holding a 5-2 lead, but the right-hander then gave up two singles and a double to yield two runs. That spelled the end of Melton's outing, and despite the disappointing finish, Detroit held on to hand him the victory. He had lost three straight games coming into Monday. Melton is scheduled to make his next start at home in a favorable matchup against Colorado.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Tagged for five runs vs. MIN
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Melton (7-4) took the loss Tuesday against the Twins, allowing seven runs (five earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out four over 5.1 innings.
Melton surrendered a first-inning homer to Kody Clemens before settling in to retire 10 consecutive batters, but things unraveled over the fifth and sixth innings. He was charged with six runs during that span, two of which scored via error, and exited after allowing a three-run homer to Royce Lewis in the sixth. The five earned runs were a season high for Melton, who entered Tuesday having allowed more than three runs just once in 16 starts. He's now taken the loss in three straight outings and owns a 2.20 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 84:29 K:BB across 102.1 innings. Melton is slated for a rematch with Minnesota on Monday.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Limits Giants in no-decision
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Melton did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Giants, allowing one unearned run on four hits and one walk while striking out five over six innings.
Melton threw 60 of his 92 pitches for strikes and generated 14 whiffs while never facing more than four batters in an inning. He held San Francisco scoreless through six frames before returning for the seventh and issuing a leadoff walk to Rafael Devers, prompting his exit. Melton watched from the dugout as a run eventually scored on an error. The right-hander hasn't allowed an earned run across his last three starts (20 innings) and owns a 3-0 record with a 0.64 ERA since the beginning of July. Through 80 innings this season, Melton boasts a stellar 1.46 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 69:24 K:BB. He's tentatively scheduled to face the White Sox on Saturday.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Another scoreless outing
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Melton (7-1) allowed three hits and two walks while striking out four over seven shutout innings to earn the win over the Mariners on Tuesday.
Melton posted a nearly identical line to his last start, coming up one strikeout short of matching what he did versus the Orioles last week. This was his third scoreless outing of the season, all of which have come since the start of July. Melton is at a superb 1.58 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 64:23 K:BB through 74 innings over 12 starts this season. The 7.8 K/9 is about the only downside to his performance so far, but Melton should get a chance to shine for the Tigers now that he's out of the shadows of Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. Melton's next start is projected to be at San Francisco.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Blanks Baltimore for sixth win
Rotowire
Melton (6-1) picked up the win in Tuesday's 14-0 rout of the Orioles, scattering three hits and two walks over seven scoreless innings. He struck out five.
The O's couldn't even get a runner into scoring position against Melton, while the Tigers' offense put at least one run on the board in every single inning. The 25-year-old right-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in seven straight starts dating back to June 20, delivering a dazzling 1.09 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 46:15 K:BB over 41.1 innings during that dominant stretch. Melton will look to keep rolling in his next outing, which is set to come on the road early next week in Seattle.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Sharp in no-decision
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Melton did not factor into the decision Thursday against the Royals, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out five over five innings.
Melton escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and carried a shutout into the sixth before allowing a leadoff single and a two-run homer to Isaac Collins, ending his afternoon. Despite the late damage, the right-hander continued his impressive consistency, holding opponents to two runs or fewer in nine of his 10 starts this season. Melton owns a stellar 1.95 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 55:19 K:BB across 60 innings and is lined up to make his next start at home against the Orioles.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Tough-luck loss in strong start
Rotowire
Melton (4-1) took the loss Thursday against the Astros, allowing one run on two hits and no walks in six innings. He struck out six.
That makes it back-to-back quality starts for Melton, who now has four such efforts over just six outings this year. The 25-year-old right-hander has been particularly hard to hit in 2026, giving up four hits or fewer on four occasions so far. Melton boasts a 2.39 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 25:9 K:BB across 37.2 innings, but his next matchup is an especially difficult draw in New York against the first-place Yankees.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Sharp in fourth win
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Melton (4-0) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on one hit and three walks over six innings in a 4-1 victory over the White Sox. He struck out five.
Sam Antonacci led off the game with a solo shot, and it proved to be the only hit Melton would give up over 84 pitches (46 strikes). The quality start was the right-hander's third in five trips to the mound since being activated from the IL in late May, and his spot in the rotation seems secure while Jack Flaherty (ankle) and Justin Verlander (hamstring) remain sidelined. Melton will take a 2.56 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 19:9 K:BB through 31.2 innings into his next outing, which lines up to come at home next week against the Astros.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Hoping to avoid IL
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Melton is optimistic about avoiding a stint on the 15-day injured list after being scratched from Monday's scheduled start against Houston due to lower-back tightness, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Melton mentioned that he's not quite sure what caused his back to tighten up, but he's hopeful that the issue will clear up shortly. The club will presumably monitor him closely over the next few days to determine when he can make his next start.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Scratched from start
Rotowire
Melton has been scratched from Monday's start versus the Astros due to lower-back tightness, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
The Tigers will start Drew Anderson instead in what will be a bullpen game. It's unclear at this point when Melton might be ready to make his next start, so he should be considered day-to-day until further notice.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Not involved in decision Friday
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Melton didn't factor into the decision Friday against the White Sox. He tossed seven innings of one-run ball, allowing six hits and a walk while striking out one.
Melton walked the tightrope, allowing only one run on an RBI double from Miguel Vargas in the third inning. Melton has done an excellent job limiting the damage, giving up just two runs on 12.2 innings across two starts for Detroit, but his 4:4 K:BB isn't exactly encouraging from a fantasy perspective. With Casey Mize (adductor), Justin Verlander (hip) and Tarik Skubal (elbow) still out, Melton could have another turn in the rotation since he has a 1.42 ERA in his first two starts of the year. If that's the case, he'd be lined up to make his next start on the road against the Rays.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Picking up another start
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Melton is slated to start in Friday's game against the White Sox in Chicago, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
As expected, Melton will remain in the rotation for at least one more turn after a serviceable showing in his 2026 MLB debut. The right-hander picked up a win Sunday while striking out three batters and limiting Baltimore to one earned run on two hits and three walks over 5.2 innings. Detroit will eventually get some pitching reinforcements with Justin Verlander (hip) and Tarik Skubal (elbow) due back from the IL within the next few weeks, so Melton could be battling Keider Montero for the final spot in the rotation.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Activated, will start Sunday
Rotowire
The Tigers reinstated Melton (elbow) from the 60-day injured list and will have him start the second game of Sunday's doubleheader in Baltimore.
Detroit designated right-hander Connor Seabold for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Melton, who will be making his 2026 debut with the Tigers after spending the first two months of the season on the shelf while recovering from a right elbow strain. Melton showed little sign of rust over his four-start rehab assignment (three with Single-A Lakeland, one with Triple-A Toledo), compiling a 1.54 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 16:2 K:BB over 11.2 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander finished the 2025 season as a reliever for Detroit but should be in line for a longer-term look in the big-league rotation this time around while the Tigers wait for the likes of Tarik Skubal (elbow) and Justin Verlander (hip) to return from the IL. Melton covered 63 pitches and five innings in his final rehab start, so he could face some light workload restrictions during Sunday's outing.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Could return to pitch Sunday
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Melton (elbow) could be activated from the 60-day injured list to pitch Sunday in Baltimore, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Melton has looked terrific on his rehab assignment, collecting a 1.54 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 16:2 K:BB in 11.2 innings covering four starts, three with Single-A Lakeland and one with Triple-A Toledo. He reached 63 pitches in his last outing Tuesday and sat in the mid- to upper-90s with his fastball. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that Melton will travel with the team to Baltimore, but the skipper stressed that "no decision has been made yet" regarding when Melton will make his season debut. Melton does looks poised to make his next appearance in the majors, but it's still unclear whether that outing will come Sunday or early next week. If Melton doesn't start Sunday's game, Keider Montero would be in line to take the ball on regular rest. Melton has been out all season with a right elbow strain.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Dazzles in latest rehab start
Rotowire
Melton (elbow) struck out six and allowed one earned run on two hits and no walks over five innings Tuesday in his rehab start with Single-A Lakeland.
Melton remained in dominant form as he continues to work his way back from the right elbow strain that has kept him on the shelf all season. While building up to 63 pitches in Tuesday's outing, Melton generated 12 whiffs on 37 strikes and sported a fastball that sat around 96.5 miles per hour. He's now posted a 1.54 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 16:2 K:BB in 11.2 innings across four rehab starts, three of which have come with Lakeland. The right-hander will be eligible to return from the 60-day injured list Sunday, but the Tigers may want to see him extend his pitch count to the 70-to-80 range over one more start in the minors before reinstating him. Melton looks like a good bet to claim a spot in the Detroit rotation upon activation.
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Tigers' Troy Melton: Moving rehab to Single-A
Rotowire
Melton (elbow) is slated to make the fourth start of his rehab assignment Tuesday with Single-A Lakeland, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
After tossing two innings and 54 pitches in his most recent rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Toledo, Melton will shift his assignment back to the Florida State League, where he made his first two appearances. Weather was a factor in the decision to move Melton's rehab from Toledo to Lakeland, but the change shouldn't alter the right-hander's timeline to return from the 60-day injured list. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that Melton is being targeted for four innings and 65-to-75 pitches during Monday's outing, so the 25-year-old may require one more rehab start after that before being activated and potentially slotting into the Detroit rotation.
