Rockies Return RJ Petit To Tigers

The Rockies have returned 2025 Rule 5 pick RJ Petit to the Tigers, per a team announcement. The right-hander missed the entire 2026 campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Colorado took Petit with the top selection in last year’s Rule 5 draft. He was coming off a strong minor league season that saw him post a 2.44 ERA with a 29.5% strikeout rate between Double-A and Triple-A. Petit made three Spring Training appearances with the Rockies in 2026. He had TJ in March.

The 27-year-old Petit will head back to Detroit to continue recovering from the surgery. It’s unclear how much he’ll pitch this season, if at all. The injury came at a brutal time for a young arm seemingly on the brink…