All-Star Jimenez reflects on whirlwind journey

Joe Jimenez was in Washington in January as part of Major League Baseball's Rookie Career Development Program, a series of seminars designed to prepare up-and-coming players for issues that can arise as they try to make their way in the big leagues. At that point, nobody would've expected Jimenez to be back in July for the MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard.

He had just finished a frustrating 2017 season that included plenty of growing pains in September, and a couple of trips back and forth between Detroit and Triple-A Toledo. After three stints in the Tigers' bullpen, simply sticking in the Majors seemed like a goal for '18.

As he sat at a podium Monday afternoon, preparing to…