SHOCKING: How Skilled star went from being off Tigers playoff roster to starting Game 3 of ALDS

DETROIT — Rookie Keider Montero is set to take the mound for the Detroit Tigers in Game 3 of the American League Division Series.

The Tigers will face the Cleveland Guardians at 3:08 p.m. on Wednesday, marking the first playoff game at Comerica Park in a decade. The best-of-five series is currently tied at 1-1.

The Tigers were losing 7-0 against Cleveland in Game 1 of the ALDS on Sunday when Tigers manager A.J. Hinch brought in Keider Montero.

He went two innings, holding the Guardians scoreless, while recording three strikeouts and giving up just one hit.

But it was massively important in the big picture.

 

 

 

 

Because behind the scenes, Montero had been working on some changes to his pitching mechanics and that appearance proved those changes were working.

Flash forward to Wednesday afternoon: Montero will get the start in Game 3 against Cleveland.

“He’s pitched well against these guys,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’s got spin. He’s got four pitches and with this team, you can’t stay in the same the same location, the same spot.

Montero, 23, will be making his 17th start of the season. In 98⅓ innings of work, he has 77 strikeouts and just 31 walks.

 

 

 

Keider Montero has been really good for us, for much of his time up here,” Hinch said. “He’s learned a lot. He’s developed. He’s grown. He’s also been able to make adjustments.

The Guardians will start veteran right-hander Alex Cobb, who was an All-Star in 2023 as a member of the San Francisco Giants and will be making his third career postseason start.

Montero was not included on the Tigers’ playoff roster during their wild-card series against the Houston Astros.

However, he traveled with the team and threw a few bullpen sessions in front of the coaches, focusing on improving his technique.

“I was impressed with the work he put in during the Houston series to prepare himself,” Hinch said. “We needed to help him move his body better as the season wound down.”

“When mechanics aren’t consistent, it throws everything off, and Montero was beginning to have trouble with his control.”

“He was starting to lose command at the end of the year, so we decided to leave him off the roster with a clear plan: ‘We need you to focus on this during the two bullpen sessions,’” Hinch explained. “The effort he put in while inactive during the wild-card series was crucial. We wanted him to improve his movement, refine his delivery, and ensure he could effectively execute all his pitches instead of relying on just two.

 

 

 

 

But it was actually important.

“It came out really good in Game 1 on the back end of that,” Hinch said.

So, that is why Montero got the start in the biggest game in Comerica Park in a decade.

“He can mix his pitches very well,” Hinch said. “This is a team you have to be unpredictable against and not kind of feed them the same thing over and over again. And he’s accustomed to starting. We let him know yesterday and planned his work around it, and he’ll be ready to go.”