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Detroit Tigers call up former 1st-round pick Jace Jung from Triple-A Toledo for MLB debut

The Detroit Tigers have called up one of their top prospects.

Infielder Jace Jung has been promoted from Triple-A Toledo for his MLB debut, according to sources not at liberty to discuss roster moves publicly. The Tigers selected Jung with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Texas Tech. He is batting eighth and playing third base in Friday's game against the New York Yankees at Comerica Park.

He is the younger brother of Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung.

JEFF SEIDEL: Jace Jung's intense competitiveness is the superpower behind his rise with Detroit Tigers

The younger Jung, a 23-year-old prospect, has spent the entire 2024 season in Triple-A Toledo, hitting .257 with 14 home runs, 67 walks and 93 strikeouts across 91 games. He is a below-average defender at third base but an average defender at second base.

Detroit Tigers infielder Jace Jung prepares for a plate appearance with the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League on November 1, 2023 in Peoria, Arizona.
Detroit Tigers infielder Jace Jung prepares for a plate appearance with the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League on November 1, 2023 in Peoria, Arizona.

The Tigers transitioned Jung from second base to third base in the Arizona Fall League last season to accommodate for Colt Keith needing to play second base. Jung has continued to play third base as his primary position in 2024, despite 12 errors in 65 games.

Aside from Toledo, Jung played four games in Low-A Lakeland at the beginning of July as part of a rehab assignment in return from a right wrist injury. He hit a home run in one of those games, giving him 15 homers in 95 games throughout his third season in the minor leagues.

Since July 21, Jung is hitting .210 with one homer, 14 walks and 22 strikeouts in 20 games for the Mud Hens.

THE ANSWER: Tigers need a third baseman. Can prospect Jace Jung be the long-term solution?

Jung is ranked as the Tigers' No. 5 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He also ranks as the No. 64 prospect on MLB Pipeline's top-100 prospects list.

This story will be updated.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jace Jung gets promotion from Detroit Tigers, to debut vs. Yankees