The Detroit Tigers pitching staff is one of the best groups in Major League Baseball. Tarik Skubal is leading the way for AJ Hinch, but not every pitcher is playing as well. Kenta Maeda is struggled to open the season, and the team designated him for assignment on Thursday.

Maeda started his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers when he started his career in 2016. After he joined the Minnesota Twins in 2020, he was never the same talent. Two rough years with the Tigers later, Maeda was sent to the bullpen before the 2025 campaign. He will go down to the minor leagues to work through his troubles, according to MLB Network writer Jon Morosi.

If Maeda is able to work through his struggles, he could return to bolster an already impressive rotation. However, the 37-year-old is working against Father Time as the end of his career looms. His career is an important one, though, helping to blaze the trail between Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan to MLB.

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Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers' new ace, is dominating after following in Maeda's footsteps. Whether his time in the major leagues is over or not, his impact on the game will be remembered. Now, though, Maeda hands the torch to a new age of talent on the mound.

While the fanbase will miss the former Dodger, the Tigers are doing just fine without him. Skubal is coming off a Cy Young campaign in 2024, leading a great rotation for Hinch. The Tigers surprised the baseball world when they took down the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Care Series. This season, they are proving that 2024 wasn't a fluke.

With or without Maeda on the roster, the Tigers' expectations don't change. The team is hoping to return to the postseason and build on their effort from last season. If the standings hold, they will get their chance for revenge against the Cleveland Guardians, giving them that much more motivation.