Anaheim, Calif. — There is an unavoidable trickle-down effect to the emergence of right-hander Keider Montero as a multi-inning leverage weapon in the Tigers’ bullpen.
It has meant less work for veteran leverage relievers Kyle Finnegan and especially Kenley Jansen.
“Keider has been the one that’s triggered a little different role for a lot of different guys,” manager AJ Hinch said. “That’s a compliment to Keider and not a knock on anybody. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t pay attention to how well Keider is throwing the ball and not giving him the ball at the end of games.”
Montero pitched the final 3⅓ innings in the Tigers’ 2-1 win against the Angels on Friday, working himself out of a two-on, no-out jam in the ninth to shut it down. Neither Jansen nor Finnegan warmed up.
“It was (Keider’s) to win,” Hinch said.
Montero also had a three-inning save against the Rangers in Texas back on July 4.
But on the flip side, Jansen and Finnegan, $17.75 million worth of leverage relievers, haven’t been used as often. Finnegan has been in 10 of the Tigers’ 27 games since June 13.
Jansen has pitched just nine times in 27 games since June 13 and only four times in July.
“I don’t like it at all,” said Jansen, the game’s active saves leader.
But he understands it. He wasn’t pitching well, especially earlier in the season. He spent a stretch on the injured list and has had a hard time getting into the flow since he’s been back.
Since June 13, he has four saves but allowed five runs (four earned) in 8⅔ innings. He hasn’t allowed a run in his last four outings covering 3⅓ innings.
“It’s definitely been different,” he said. “It’s weird. But what I can do is wait for my chance to go in there and just go do my job. This is definitely new. When you pitch more often, especially for me, I always start slow but then I get my rhythm and I cruise.
“I just have to find a way to get sharp and stay sharp and when AJ calls my name, go in and do my job.”
The reliever workloads are likely to shift again in the next couple of weeks. Montero is expected to get a start or two as Hinch deploys a six-man rotation.
“Guys will work through it and they’ll be ready to pitch when they are called upon,” Hinch said.
Hinch said he has had multiple conversations with Jansen.
“He knows there are various roles we are going to ask him to do,” he said. “We signed him with the idea that he was going to have various roles. I’ve encouraged him to continue to get his work in. He mentioned to me he wants to pitch. I understand that. It’s the same for Finnegan. It’s the same for Drew Anderson and Drew Sommers.
“There’s not a pitcher in the pen that doesn’t want the ball a lot. But as our rotation has pitched better, we haven’t had to lean on those guys. And that’s going to benefit us at some point.”
Possibly right now as the Tigers are in the midst of playing 13 games in 13 days out of the break.
“We are here to go in the game whenever our name gets called,” Jansen said. “I can’t change his mind or change whatever he is thinking. All I’m going to do is be ready to help my team win ballgames.”
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Kenley Jansen trying to adjust to lighter workload in Tigers’ bullpen
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Chris McCosky, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
