Highly-touted Alex White, Cleveland's first-round pick in 2009, makes his major league debut tonight against Detroit.
?He's obviously a very talented guy out of North Carolina,? Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. ?He has very good stuff and is very competitive from what we understand.?
White, 22, is 1-0 with a 1.90 ERA and 28 strikeouts with five walks in 23 2/3 innings for Triple-A Columbus.
Rick Porcello, also 22, makes his 63 start in the majors tonight. He'd have pitched with White for the Tar Heels if not enticed to sign by the Tigers after they drafted him in the first round out of high school in 2007.
White was taken in the 14th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006, but didn't sign and went to Chapel Hill to help lead North Carolina to the College World Series in 2009.
Porcello (1-2, 4.76) has had nine days off between starts by virtue of being passed over with two recent off days for the club. Leyland said he was not the choice to be skipped because he's the youngest in the rotation and could benefit from innings reduction.
?We were just trying to build him up a bit,? Leyland said.
?He's obviously a very talented guy out of North Carolina,? Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. ?He has very good stuff and is very competitive from what we understand.?
White, 22, is 1-0 with a 1.90 ERA and 28 strikeouts with five walks in 23 2/3 innings for Triple-A Columbus.
Rick Porcello, also 22, makes his 63 start in the majors tonight. He'd have pitched with White for the Tar Heels if not enticed to sign by the Tigers after they drafted him in the first round out of high school in 2007.
White was taken in the 14th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006, but didn't sign and went to Chapel Hill to help lead North Carolina to the College World Series in 2009.
Porcello (1-2, 4.76) has had nine days off between starts by virtue of being passed over with two recent off days for the club. Leyland said he was not the choice to be skipped because he's the youngest in the rotation and could benefit from innings reduction.
?We were just trying to build him up a bit,? Leyland said.
