The Detroit Tigers have a comfortable 11.5-game lead over the second-place Minnesota Twins coming out of the All-Star Break. Detroit's starting pitching has been a major reason for their success as Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize have led the charge from the mound, combining for a 19-6 record thus far.
While the aces of the Tigers staff are enjoying a strong season, a former second-round pick by the franchise is now on his third team in the last two seasons after not making the most of the opportunity provided to him by the Toronto Blue Jays this past month.
Former Detroit Tigers Hurler Spencer Turnbull Signs With Chicago Cubs
After an unsuccessful stint with the Philadelphia Phillies, Turnbull landed with the Toronto Blue Jays in May of 2025, but his stay there was not a long one. The former Tigers pitcher lasted three games north of the border, one of which he started, and had a record of 1-1 with an ERA of 7.11. The Blue Jays are in the thick of it in the AL East race, and Turnbull could have been in a great situation had things worked out better than they did with Toronto.
Spencer Turnbull goes to the Cubs
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 18, 2025
Now, he will look to find the touch that made him a collegiate star and a top draft pick as a member of the Chicago Cubs. After signing a minor league contract with the franchise on Friday, Turnbull will head to the team's AAA affiliate, the Iowa Cubs, to work out the kinks and, hopefully, get to the point where he can be relied upon to be on the big league roster.
It was a mixed bag for Turnbull in Detroit after the Tigers selected him with the No. 63 overall pick of the 2014 MLB Draft following a standout career at the University of Alabama. Turnbull worked his way through the minors before ultimately making his Tigers debut on Sept. 14, 2018.
The following year, Turnbull made the starting rotation out of spring training, but the 2019 season wasn't kind to the hurler as he finished the year with a disastrous 3-17 record in 30 starts. Those 17 losses led the league. The argument can be made that the stretch of losing ruined the confidence Turnbull had in his own game.
It wasn't all bad for Turnbull during his tenure in Detroit, though. He can lay claim to one of the greatest single-game performances by a pitcher in franchise history after throwing a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners during the 2021 campaign. This was the eighth no-hitter in franchise history and the first since Justin Verlander accomplished the feat 10 years earlier.
We'll see if he can manage to regain that form as a member of the Cubs.