Anaheim, Calif. — Think about the carousel Keider Montero has been on this season.
He didn’t make the Opening Day roster, even though he was clearly deserving of one of the 13 spots on the pitching staff. But the Tigers preferred to keep him stretched out as a starting pitcher, rather than start his season in the bullpen.
That proved to be good foresight. After an early rash of injuries in the rotation, Montero ended up saving the Tigers’ bacon by making 13 starts, five quality starts, between April 5 and June 11.
Then, as Troy Melton, Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty all returned to the rotation, Montero was shifted to the bullpen. And not just as a multi-inning filler. He’s become a late-inning weapon.
And now, he’s going back into the rotation for at least one start. Manager AJ Hinch announced Sunday that Montero will start the finale against the Cubs in Chicago Wednesday, creating a temporary a six-man rotation.
It’s a lot to ask and there aren’t many relievers versatile enough to handle it. But the truth is, Montero seems to love it.
“Regardless of the situation, whether I’m starting or relieving, my mindset is always the same,” he said through interpreter Carlos Guillen. “Enjoy the game, do my best, give 100% of myself and help the team win. It’s really not that big a change for me.”
His 3⅓-inning win Friday night against the Angels was revelatory on a couple of levels. One, when Montero is available to pitch, he’s going to pitch in leverage.
Hinch had a fully rested bullpen, including back-end relievers Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen, and not once, not even when the Angels put the first two runners on in the bottom of the ninth, did he have anyone warming.
“Given the way he was pitching, he had his rhythm, he was punching out everybody, I felt he earned it,” Hinch said. “It wasn’t a knock on anything that’s going on in the pen or the options we do have. It was about using his pitches at the right time and when he was feeling the way he was feeling, I thought it was the right call for us.”
It was. Montero made it so. He bowed his neck and, with the help of a couple of stellar defensive plays by Kevin McGonigle and Spencer Torkelson, he stranded the tying and winning runs at third and second base.
“I am grateful for the trust he has in me and the trust he has in my pitches,” Montero said.
Secondly, these bullpen stints have exposed the bulldog side of Montero’s makeup. There’s more going on here than the infectious smile and the firm four-seam fastballs, sinkers and high-rpm spin. As he showed in the playoffs last fall when he earned his first big-league save in Game 1 of the ALDS, he truly seems to revel in those intense moments.
“No way are they going to score a run,” Montero said, repeating his mantra. “There’s no chance I’m going to blow the lead. They’re not going to score. The guys gave me the support scoring two runs (in the top of the ninth) so we can get this win. I am going to do my best to close it out.”
For a guy who was groomed to be a starter since he joined the system from Venezuela as a 16-year-old, it’s almost eerie how calm and unaffected he’s been in high-leverage spots. He explained why that might be.
“Since I was a kid, I always played infield and pitched,” he said. “My coach back in the day, god rest his soul in peace, when I was 10 or 11 years old, he always put me in the infield. But he would always bring me in to pitch in the tough situations late in games, tight games, in the semifinals and finals.
“I got used to that. I always wanted to save a game in the big leagues. I kind of like those situations.”
This is a different type of hybrid reliever. It’s a reliable starter and multi-inning leverage reliever in one package. It presents a very useful and intriguing tool for Hinch and pitching coach Chris Fetter to use on essentially a starter’s routine every fourth or fifth day.
“It’s very similar to when Troy Melton was in the pen last year,” Hinch said. “I always said, when I pitch him, I’m going to pitch him a lot. Part of that is the competition and strategy. The other part is keeping him stretched out so it doesn’t disrupt his volume.”
Montero threw 43 pitches on Monday. Hinch said he wouldn’t be able to stretch out to 90 or 100 on Wednesday, but he expects him to be able to go at least five innings.
“There’s a plan,” Hinch said. “We feel we can use him in a variety of roles and they are usually high stakes. We’re trying to be very aware of using one of our best pitchers at the most opportune times. Now we have this long stretch of games (13) with no off day. So, giving him a start will benefit the rest of the rotation until we can get to the next off day.”
Montero is here for all of it.
“I am grateful that they give me a chance to pitch,” he said. “No matter what the situation is.”
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
On deck: Cubs
Series: Three games at Wrigley Field, Chicago
First pitch: Monday-Tuesday — 8:05 p.m.; Wednesday — 8:10 p.m.
TV/radio: Monday-Tuesday — DSN/97.1, 107.9; Wednesday — ESPN/97.1, 107.9
Probables: Monday — RHP Jack Flaherty (3-8, 4.48) vs. TBA; Tuesday — LHP Framber Valdez (5-6, 4.10) vs. LHP David Peterson (4-7, 6.45); Wednesday — RHP Keider Montero (6-5, 3.22) vs. RHP Colin Rea (7-6, 4.74)
Flaherty, Tigers: The Tigers went 4-2 in his last six starts before the All-Star break and he set the tone, posting a 2.12 ERA in 29⅔ innings with 34 strikeouts and 10 walks. From his days with the Cardinals, he has a long history against the Cubs. In 18 starts, he’s 4-4 with a 3.38 ERA and a .193 opponent batting average. But he’s not loved pitching at Wrigley (1-4, 5.75, nine homers in 10 starts).
TBA, Cubs: The Cubs have not announced their starting pitcher.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Keider Montero unleashing inner bulldog in bullpen role with Tigers
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chris McCosky, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
