Detroit Tigers: Can Bruce Rondon help going forward?

After years of frustration, injuries and a few bright spots, Bruce Rondon has been given yet another opportunity to show what he can do for the Detroit Tigers.

This past weekend, in a move that came as a surprise to few, the Detroit Tigers parted ways with veteran reliever and former closer Francisco Rodriguez. To fill his spot in the bullpen, Detroit announced that Bruce Rondon had been recalled from Triple-A Toledo.

Rondon has long been expected to one day emerge as a big piece of the Tigers’ bullpen. Dating all the way back to the 2013 season, he was once considered to be the Tigers’ closer of the future. When he proved he wasn’t ready for the role, Detroit opted for a brief reunion with Jose Valverde before finally handing the job to Joaquin Benoit.

Rondon was still able to find his way back and contribute in 2013, however. Through 30 games, the right-hander pitched to a 3.45 ERA and a 9.42 K/9. He would later miss the entire 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The following season, a separate injury kept Rondon on the sidelines until June 25. He posted an inflated 5.81 ERA and 1.61 WHIP before being sent home in September due to insufficient effort. In 2016, though, it appeared that Rondon had finally figured it out. Through 37 games, he posted a 2.97 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 11.55 K/9.

The struggles return

Unfortunately for the Tigers,  in early 2017, the frustration with Rondon returned. He was tuned up for a 40.50 ERA in three outings before being demoted to Triple-A Toledo. As Lynn Henning of The Detroit News reported at the time, there were also concerns about his weight. The Tigers wanted him to focus on getting into better physical condition.

Rondon had decent numbers during his time in Toledo. He posted a 3.04 ERA and recorded 33 strikeouts in 26.2 innings pitched.

On Sunday, Rondon made his first appearance since being recalled by the Tigers. He pitched a scoreless eighth inning against the San Diego Padres and struck out two. The Tigers would eventually go on to win the game by a score of 7-5, snapping an eight-game losing skid.

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No longer the closer of the future

According to George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press,  GM Al Avila recently described how Rondon is no longer considered Detroit’s closer of the future, adding that “[The Tigers have] been up that road too many times.”

As of right now, Justin Wilson is handling the closing duties for the Tigers and has pitched quite well. But with the non-waiver trade deadline looming at the end of next month and the Tigers rumored to possibly be sellers, Wilson is one of the names that has come up. If Wilson leaves, many have already begun pointing to Joe Jimenez as possibly the next closer of the future.

Jimenez, who was up with the Tigers earlier this season, has been dealing with a back injury but has now returned to action in Triple-A Toledo, per the Detroit Free Press. He was extremely impressive last season, posting a 1.51 ERA across three stops in the minor leagues.

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Rondon, whose top fastball has reached 99.5 mph this season according to Fangraphs, has always had the talent. The concerns appear to be more along the lines of attitude, consistency and staying healthy and in shape.

At 26 years of age, Rondon is still quite young. Though he has had quite a few opportunities already, he should still have plenty of time to put it all together and help the Tigers’ bullpen in some capacity going forward.