Detroit Tigers Should Be Very Encouraged By Daniel Norris' First Two Starts Of 2016

Before the 2016 campaign began, many expected that Daniel Norris would be a part of the Detroit Tigers‘ starting rotation. However, Norris didn’t exactly have a great spring training, and he began his season on the DL with a back injury.

When he was healthy again, Norris began his season in the minor leagues and got off to a bit of a slow start. After briefly appearing with the Tigers in May and pitching one scoreless inning against the Baltimore Orioles in relief, he was sent back down.

After returning to Triple-A Toledo, Norris truly seemed to get back on track, posting a sparkling 2.76 ERA over seven starts. Most believed that it would only be a matter of time before he got his next opportunity, and indeed, he was called up to make his first MLB start of 2016 against the Seattle Mariners on June 23.

Norris ended up holding the Mariners to three runs on six hits while walking zero and striking out five. He did give up three home runs, but it was still a solid outing for him to build off of. His next start also went quite well.

Pitching against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, Norris went five innings, allowing eight hits and two earned runs while walking just one. He also struck out eight batters in the contest, which marked a career high.

For his first two starts of the season, the Tigers should be extremely encouraged by what they have seen out of their young left-hander. The Tigers’ rotation has indeed had its share of issues this season, and the time may be now for Norris to show that he can help.