Tigers prospect Kyle Funkhouser, Matt Hall promoted to Triple-A Toledo

Detroit Tigers prospects Kyle Funkhouser and Matt Hall have both been promoted from Double-A Erie to Triple-A Toledo, according to Emily Waldon of The Athletic. They will take the place of relievers Mark Montgomery and Junichi Tazawa, both of whom were released earlier this week. Both clubs are currently in the middle of their respective All-Star breaks, and will be back in action later this week.

Funkhouser is the more heralded name of the two. A first round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015, Funkhouser spurned L.A. and returned to Louisville for his senior season. An up-and-down year saw him drop into the Tigers’ lap in the fourth round, and he has been in their organization ever since. This year, Funkhouser has limited opponents to a 3.74 ERA in 89 innings. He has 89 strikeouts to 39 walks in 17 starts, a 2.28 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Perhaps the most encouraging stat in Funkhouser’s profile is his innings total. He got off to a promising start in the lower minors last year, but missed the final three months of the season with an elbow injury. Health concerns also dogged him throughout his senior year in college, leading to his drop on draft day. We recently rated Funkhouser the No. 11 prospect in the Tigers system, in large part thanks to his high fastball velocity; it touched as high as 96-97 miles per hour last season.

Hall doesn’t have Funkhouser’s premium velocity, but has had the better season thus far. In 57 innings split between the rotation and bullpen, Hall has allowed a 1.58 ERA. He has 76 strikeouts to just 25 walks in those 57 frames, and has limited opponents to just 33 hits. His curveball is one of the best in the entire farm system, giving him a plus pitch that devastates left-handed hitters. We ranked Hall the No. 25 prospect in the system prior to this season.