Turner Gets Pitching Experience In Majors

It's a smart move Detroit is making, bringing Jacob Turner up Thursday to squeeze an extra day off into the schedule for the Tigers' five starters.

Turner was excellent in a one-gamer for Detroit against the Los Angeles Angels on July 30, allowing three hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Detroit announced after its 11-4 loss at Minnesota Sunday that Turner will make a second start for the Tigers. Making a start Thursday against Kansas City -- also in spacious Comerica Park -- will let the rookie and the Detroit brass see just what, if anything, he learned pitching for Class AAA Toledo between July 30 and Sept. 1.

"I think your pitches just have to be a little bit sharper," he said. "Hitters are going be a bit better, the strike zone might be a bit smaller. But at the end of the day, it's still the same game. If you stay with your stuff, you should be fine."

Turner has shown the stuff and poise you expect to see from highly touted No. 1 draft choices (2009).

Nothing can take the place of experience, though, and in having Turner make two starts for Detroit this season, the Tigers are putting him on a similar path it had for Verlander in 2005.

Verlander made two 'What hit me?' starts for Detroit that year, then made the Tigers roster and helped them to a surprising run to the World Series in his Rookie-of-the-Year season.

Turner is given a good chance to make Detroit's rotation out of spring training next year, or at least early in the season. He will be under the same kind of innings/starts leash Rick Porcello was on when he made Detroit's roster after one year of pro experience.

Starting two games for Detroit in 2005 were invaluable for Verlander in terms of getting the jitters out of the way for the following season. Turner will find it the same when he reports for spring training in 2012.

Detroit may opt to have him stick around the remainder of the season just to experience life in the majors, and have him throw some bullpen sessions for pitching coach Jeff Jones.

Regardless, the two starts will shorten Turner's learning curve quite a bit. And may influence what Detroit does with its pitching staff in the offseason.

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