Troy Melton: No Damage to the Arm

A massive update has the Detroit Tigers organization elated.

According to Chris McCosky, Melton has been medically cleared, with no damage to his arm, and will have a normal offseason.

“Tigers released some good news regarding Troy Melton. He’s been cleared medically, no damage to his arm, and will have a normal offseason,” McCosky reported.

Melton is shaping up to be the Tigers' ace moving forward.

Although Detroit spent a significant amount of money to bring in Framber Valdez last offseason, the rotation proved to be more of a two-man operation. Valdez is coming off one of his worst statistical seasons, while rookie Troy Melton truly wowed the organization, especially after the trades of Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize.

Melton stepped into the top role in the rotation and excelled.

Melton finished with a 2.76 ERA, matching the mark he posted last season through 16 games. This year, he pitched in 20 games after starting the season on the injured list.

Because he missed too many games to start the season, Melton wasn't eligible to qualify for the league leaders. Otherwise, he would have finished ninth in MLB in ERA, sitting just behind Sonny Gray's 2.72 mark.

Across those 20 games, Melton finished with an 8-5 record and racked up 114.1 innings pitched. He allowed just 35 earned runs and displayed great command throughout the season.

He struck out 97 batters, something I believe the Tigers would like to see improve moving forward. However, Melton pitches fast and consistently. He forces batters to swing, and when he's not blowing pitches past hitters, it's difficult for them to pick up the ball and make solid contact.

Melton took the loss in four of his final six games after starting the season 7-1. It was apparent that something was bothering him, as he struggled to command the same pitches with the same discipline that had allowed him to explode onto the scene.

On September 20th, Melton was removed from a game against the White Sox and that would be his final game of the season.

That's why this latest report comes as such a relief for the organization, the fans and Melton himself.

The report's biggest positive is that Melton has been medically cleared with no damage to his arm. Even better, he'll have a normal offseason.

That's exactly what he'll need if he's going to step into the ace role.

It'll be fun to see where Melton lands in the rotation next season and how he continues to evolve. However, with Melton battling injuries, though minor, over the last couple of seasons, the most important thing to keep an eye on is his health.

This report gets the offseason off to a great start for Melton and the Tigers.