Turnbull’s hunt for big-league service time halted
Cracked toenail causes Friday scratch; return expected soon
The situation became clear Friday morning when the Detroit Tigers promoted left-hander Lael Lockhart, acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in May, from Double-A Erie to Triple-A Toledo.
Right-hander Spencer Turnbull — optioned to Triple-A Toledo on Aug. 23 following the completion of his six-start rehab assignment — was scratched from Friday’s start with the Mud Hens due to a cracked toenail.
He is not expected to be placed on the injured list.
“He’s been referencing a cracked toenail and saying that he’s limited with pitching,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Friday. “He’s been getting some treatment. We expect him to be on the mound and ready to go any given day.”
The 30-year-old needs five more days in the big leagues this season — either on the active roster or injured list — to reach five years of MLB service time. If that happens, Turnbull would need to consent to any future options to the minor leagues, meaning he could reject an assignment in favor of free agency.
Turnbull entered the season with four years, 20 days of MLB service time, then added 147 days while on the active roster and injured list before getting sent down to the Mud Hens, putting him at four years, 167 days.
Getting to 172 days would put him at exactly five years of service time. It’s also worth noting that players cannot become free agents until reaching six years of service time.
The Tigers optioned Turnbull, who made the Opening Day roster in a return from a 2021 Tommy John surgery, on May 7 to Triple-A Toledo. After that happened, Turnbull disclosed a neck injury — listed as neck discomfort — to president of baseball operations Scott Harris. The neck injury reversed the option and sent him to the injured list, which allowed him to continue accumulating valuable service time.
The service time implications frustrated Turnbull, seemingly more so than his 7.26 ERA in seven starts with the Tigers and his 6.75 ERA in six starts with High-A West Michigan (two starts) and Triple-A Toledo (four starts) during his rehab assignment.
Turnbull threw 83 pitches in his final rehab start Aug. 22, from which he was pulled with two outs in the fourth inning. He allowed three runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
The Tigers, once again, optioned Turnbull on Aug. 23 to Triple-A Toledo after he completed his rehab assignment because of poor performance. Just like that, the clock for his service time stopped ticking.
He was scratched from his start Friday, which would have been his first start since being optioned, with a cracked toenail.
Rescinding the option and placing him on the injured list — for the second time — would push Turnbull across the coveted five-year mark for his MLB service time, but there’s virtually no chance that will happen. Earlier this season, San Francisco Giants right-hander Anthony DeSclafani avoided the injured list and continued pitching after a piano bench smashed his toenail.
DeSclafani, a nine-year MLB veteran, pitched for four weeks with toenail damage before discomfort forced him to exit his May 13 start in the sixth inning. On May 19, he took the mound for his next start and pitched into the sixth inning.
“No concerns with the toe,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters May 16. “I was kind of expecting it to be a bloody mess . ... But it looks OK . ... I think it’s going to take like four months for the nail to grow completely out. It’s not a raw as I might have expected it was going to be.”
In 2018, then-Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper missed three games in spring training after a minor surgery to remove an ingrown toenail. In June 2023, Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman missed one game after having an ingrown toenail removed.
Players haven’t been put on the injured list for toenail-related issues in recent history.
There seems to be only one way for Turnbull — who has a 12-29 record and a 4.55 ERA in parts of five MLB seasons — to get back to the big leagues, whether that happens this season or next season.
He needs to pitch.
And he needs to pitch better.
Casey Mize update
Right-hander Casey Mize — rehabbing from elbow and back surgeries — experienced right shoulder fatigue in Wednesday’s live batting practice session at Comerica Park.
It was his second live batting practice.
The 2018 No. 1 overall pick will rest and be reevaluated early next week to resume his throwing program.
“We’re just kind of monitoring with no expectation either way as to what’s next,” Hinch said. “We’ll see where the calendar takes us. If it allows him to do more, we’ll do more. If this was all he did, we’re in a really good place with him in what he’s done and how good he’s looked. We just don’t know what the next four weeks are going to look like.”
Missing Báez
Shortstop Javier Báez wasn’t in the starting lineup for Friday’s series opener against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. The 30-year-old hasn’t been in the starting lineup for three consecutive games.
Báez, who is dealing with arm soreness, will play Saturday against the White Sox, but he probably won’t play in Sunday’s series finale ahead of the off day Monday. The Tigers added another position player, Andre Lipcius, as rosters expanded from 26 players to 28 players at the beginning of September.
“It’s going to create some playing-time dilemmas,” Hinch said. “If you want to take a look at somebody, or if you want to play somebody, playing time is going to be a premium. If he’s not 100%, it’s best for us and best for him to play a little more sporadically than we’re used to.”