THE APEX TIMES
Detroit adds a familiar, big right-handed reliever whose arm-angle pitch mix drew Rule 5 attention last winter, though his return to live pitching is still expected to take time.
The Tigers have reclaimed right-hander RJ Petit from the Colorado Rockies, bringing the 27-year-old back into Detroit’s organization as part of a bullpen rebuild for next season.
Petit originally went to Colorado in the 2025 Rule 5 Draft after the Tigers left him unprotected on their 40-man roster. The Rockies used him at Major League camp and he pitched in three spring games before an elbow injury ended his availability for the 2026 season.
According to the Tigers, Petit underwent Tommy John surgery in March and spent the 2026 season on the 60-day injured list while rehabbing. He returned to the 40-man roster this week, but Detroit does not expect him to be ready to pitch until late spring or early summer, with the possibility of an earlier rehab assignment.
The Tigers said they did not have to add Petit back to their own 40-man roster. Instead, they only had to return half of the $100,000 fee Colorado paid to draft him last December, keeping his Rule 5 clock from extending beyond the original terms.
Before his injury, Petit was a standout in Detroit’s system and earned Rule 5 attention with a breakout 2025 that included 10 wins and three saves, a 2.44 ERA, and a 2.94 FIP across 47 appearances between Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie. He also struck out 79 batters over 66 1/3 innings as he mixed a mid-90s fastball (touching the upper 90s) with a 94 mph sinker, plus a slider and changeup.
Detroit’s pitching staff is expected to have to wait on how quickly Petit regains his command and velocity, but the organization views the upside as similar to the “unique arm angles and slots” it leaned on last year.