Troy Melton (elbow) looked sharp during his second minor league rehab start at Single-A Lakeland on Friday, striking out five batters over three perfect innings.
Melton needed just 27 pitches (22 strikes) to record nine outs on Friday, as he was in complete command throughout. His fastball averaged 95.4 mph and topped out at 96.4 while he generated nine whiffs in just 19 swings. That’s mighty impressive. He’s not eligible to join the Tigers until the end of May, but barring any setbacks he’ll be a very welcomed addition to a pitching staff that could use an influx of talent.