The Tigers are on the move Keider Montero in the bullpen for at least the next two series, manager AJ Hinch told reporters (link via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press). That will open the rotation area Justin Verlanderwho will be returned to the 60-day injured list to start against the White Sox on Sunday.
Montero said that he is in the middle of this process even though he has held the position of the exchange since the second week of the season. The Venezuelan right-hander pitched very well, working to a 3.61 earned run average through 72 1/3 innings. Montero has an average strikeout rate of 16.7% but has gotten plenty of free outs by creating harmless contact. Among eligible pitchers, only Chase Burns again Parker Messick you get many internal pop-ups.
That at least explains why hitters have a rotten .225 average on balls in play against Montero. He attacks the strike zone and has kept the Tigers in contention throughout the start. Montero has not allowed more than four runs in any of his 13 games. He is coming off 6 1/3 scoreless frames with four hits to beat Minnesota last Thursday.
Montero however was a logical choice to push from the rotation, at least temporarily. He has experience playing the swingman role, having started 12 of 20 regular season games last year. He also came out of the bullpen three times in the postseason. Hinch did not commit to keeping Montero in a relief role beyond this week, but he will likely make at least one outing in the bullpen during the ongoing series in Houston or their weekend against Chicago.
Jack Flaherty went to IL over the weekend and is out until at least the last few days of June. Framber Valdez is on the mound against his old team tonight at Daikin Park. Casey Mize will come off the injured list to start tomorrow’s series finale. After a day off on Thursday, Detroit will be in action Tarik Skubal again Troy Melton against the Sox before starting Verlander. Melton is the only other member of the rotation who may have been considered for a relief position.
The second-year righty has pitched well in three of his first four games since returning from a sprained elbow. He has been scratched since yesterday when he was supposed to start in Houston due to back tightness, but he is expected to avoid the injury list. Drew Anderson led a short bullpen game in a 9-3 victory.
Verlander has missed the last two and a half months with a left groin injury. His return to Detroit so far has included one start, in which he allowed five runs over 3 2/3 innings in a loss to the Diamondbacks. Verlander started with Triple-A Toledo a few weeks ago. He threw 5 2/3 innings and 86 pitches on Wednesday. It will be 11 days between appearances, but Verlander threw a four-inning game yesterday without an out.
Detroit will need to move down a pitcher tomorrow to start Mize. They will also have to drop an arm from the MLB roster on Sunday. Detroit’s 40-man roster is strong, so they may need to make a trade at the end of the week to replace Verlander. The liberator Burch Smith he may be the only person who can choose to move to the 60-day injured list.
