It is at least a year later than expected. Alex Faedo may not have received the same attention as Casey Mize or Matt Manning, but he was expected to be a key part of the Detroit Tigers‘ wave of pitching prospects. Unfortunately, the pandemic and injury woes shoved that timeline back.
Now that he is finally healthy, it is time for Faedo to make his major league debut. He is set to be called up on Wednesday as the 27th man for their doubleheader. He is expected to start the nightcap, with Michael Pineda taking the first game.
Alex Faedo getting his major league chance
Faedo has certainly done his part to earn the callup this season. He has allowed just three runs on ten hits and three walks in his 15.2 innings between A-ball and Triple-A, striking out 20 batters. The only question is going to be how long the Tigers keep him in the game for, since he has just two starts thus far in 2022.
Those results show what Faedo could be. He still has that upper 90s fastball and his slider is still an out pitch. His changeup was coming along before he needed Tommy John surgery, but has the potential to become at least average. All of those offerings play up due to his excellent command, which has not left him as he has returned from the comeback trail.
Chances are, Faedo will return to the minors after this outing. He will get his chance to make his debut and will head back to Triple-A to continue to build up his pitch count and wait for another opportunity. Should he continue to perform as well as he did to start the season, he would likely be the first arm brought up in case of injury.
But it all begins on Wednesday. Faedo is viewed as a high floor/low ceiling back of the rotation arm at this point, someone who could be a solid piece to a winning ballclub. He will now have the chance to show that he can be more than that, that his pitchability and command give him a higher ceiling than anyone may realize. Now it is time to prove himself.
Alex Faedo is finally getting his chance with the Detroit Tigers. It may be one start, but that start could be the beginning of a wonderful journey.