Alex Faedo will make his Major League debut at Comerica Park nearly five years after the Detroit Tigers selected him in the first round. The 26-year-old will start Game 2 of Wednesday’s consecutive nine-inning doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with Game 2 set to begin immediately following Game 1.
According to MLB Pipeline, Faedo is the Tigers’ No. 16 prospect. He joins the club as the 27th player for the doubleheader, which means he has not yet been added to the active roster.
The team selected Faedo with the No. 18 overall choice in 2017 out of Florida during the Gators’ College World Series championship season. He was selected as the Most Outstanding Player in the CWS.
“I learned a ton about myself,” Faedo said on March 15, after tossing his first live batting practice in camp. “You don’t take things for granted. You never know. I was in here ’20, throwing in spring, feeling good. Next thing you know, I’m not throwing again until ’22. So, it’s like, enjoy it all and make the most out of everything you do.”
The Tigers are about to begin a punishing sequence of 17 games in 15 days. They’re accomplishing this despite the fact that starting pitchers Casey Mize, Matt Manning, and Tyler Alexander are all struggling with injury.
Faedo’s journey
Faedo progressed to Double-A Erie in 2019 and had Tommy John surgery (ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction) in January 2021 to repair a ruptured UCL inside the elbow. Faedo returned from surgery during the MLB lockout and pitched in one game for the Tigers during spring training this year.
“We can see some promise on what the organization likes about him,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said last month. “He’s got a long road to develop and continue to see if he can help us this year, but I was impressed today.”
The Tigers began his 2022 season at Low-A Lakeland, where he appeared in three games and posted a .500 win-loss percentage in 2.53 ERA and 0.844 WHIP with 12 strikeouts in 10.2 innings. Faedo was promoted to Triple-A Toledo on April 23.
“Pretty driven guy,” Hinch said in March. “We’re really high on him. He’s a first-round pick for a reason. That goes without saying. I’m anxious to get him on the field. I just hope he doesn’t try to do too much too soon given the environment.”
On April 27, he threw five scoreless innings for the Mud Hens, an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, against the Omaha Storm Chasers. He only gave up four hits while striking out eight and not issuing a walk.
“I feel the most comfortable with all three pitches than I ever have,” Faedo said. “I feel great. I’m sure that’ll be a conversation with Fett (pitching coach Chris Fetter), like what he wants me to do. I trust him a ton. He’s really knowledgeable. Once we start working together, I’ll know more.”
Faedo will have a chance to play at the highest level of baseball on Wednesday when he takes on the Pirates.
