KANSAS CITY, MO – The Detroit Tigers will call up left-hander Andrew Sears to pitch against the Kansas City Royals in the finale of their three-game series on Sunday, Aug. 23.
Sears, nicknamed “Psycho” because of his intensity on the mound, was in the Tigers clubhouse on Saturday for an acclimation day, though he was not permitted to talk to the media.
“He will be activated [Sunday],” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Saturday. “He’s not going to start, but he will certainly make his major-league debut at some point, for some period of time. I don’t have it planned out yet until I see the bullpen usage tonight. But we are excited to promote him, and we’re thankful for the rule that you can come in and kind of get your feet under you the day before you play.”
Sears was recently promoted to Triple-A Toledo. He pitched in only two games for the Mud Hens, recording 14 strikeouts and walked just four in 9⅔ innings.
“He’s got real weapons,” Hinch said. “This challenge, while a pretty big leap, given he’s only had a couple games in Triple-A, he’s demonstrated the ability to compete against anybody. So I told him inside that his best is good enough. He just needs to come out and remember the game and get to strike one, and his stuff is going to play very well here. So the fact he can miss bats, the fact that he’s got multiple weapons, he is in attack mode.”
The Tigers are shuffling the rotation to give young right-hander Keider Montero some extra rest, which prompted the need for Sunday’s bullpen game.
Sears was drafted out of UConn in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He was delayed from starting the 2026 season until May 15 because he was recovering from a broken bone in his elbow. He pitched in four games with High-A West Michigan, nine with Double-A Erie and two with Toledo.
In all, he has pitched 65 games in the Tigers minor-league system, getting 292 strikeouts with 108 walks and a 2.84 ERA over 260 innings.
“You’re going to see him pitch with some intensity, some speed, some adrenaline,” Hinch said. “Once he settles in, I’m sure the emotion will come with it. You know, good prospect to come up and give the challenge to pitch at the highest level.”
“He was on our radar to start the year,” Hinch said. “Just given how successful he was last year, and what he brings to the to the mound with him every day.”
Sears is the Tigers’ No.14 prospect, per MLB Pipeline.
“Like former Detroit lefty prospect Brant Hurter, Sears brings a different look than a typical lefty with a low three-quarters arm angle and a fastball that sits around 93-94 mph but can play up to 97,” MLB Pipeline wrote. “He throws a four- and a two-seamer, and his arm angle accentuates the movement on his mid-80s sweeper. He has developed a split change as a third pitch, but it needs refinement to become more than a change-of-pace offering. He improved his command after moving to the third-base side of the rubber.”
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers calling up LHP Andrew Sears to face Kansas City Royals
Reporting by Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
