5 Detroit Tigers who won't be on the roster in 2024

3. RHP Spencer Turnbull

When the chance for Turnbull to come off the IL from a neck injury and head back to Detroit was there, the Tigers opted to keep Turnbull in Toledo to continue working on his secondaries. While the numbers played a big reason why Spencer was not considered for a call-up, (7.26 ERA 1.67 WHIP in 31 innings of work), the tension has been building under the surface that Turnbull may seek a new home.

According to a story in The Athletic ($), Harris revealed that following a conversation in which Turnbull was optioned to the minor leagues—thus halting his accrual of major-league service time—Turnbull disclosed he was experiencing neck discomfort. This disclosure came after Turnbull had a poor start against St. Louis and left the room where the conversation with Harris had taken place. The injury can be traced back to an April 6 start against Boston, where he dodged a comebacker and suffered a neck stinger.

Due to the injury, Turnbull was eligible to remain on the Major League injured list, enabling him to continue accruing service time. However, the timing and lack of communication on Turnbull's part have potentially eroded any remaining patience the Detroit organization may have had with him.