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Keider Montero arrives for MLB debut nearly 8 years after Detroit Tigers signed him as teen
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- Keider Montero arrives for MLB debut nearly 8 years after Detroit Tigers signed him as teen
When Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal completed seven scoreless innings in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader , right-hander Keider Montero — the starter for Game 2 — greeted him in the dugout.
"Good job," Montero said.
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"It's your turn," Skubal responded. "Go out there and get 'em."
Montero allowed four runs on five hits and one walk with five strikeouts across 4⅓ innings in his MLB debut. The 23-year-old made a couple of mistakes at the top of the strike zone, but despite those pitches, he looked comfortable and confident on the mound.
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It was a successful debut.
"Taking the field with the team in a big-league ballpark, it was very exciting," Montero said. "I was excited, but I didn't want to go overboard because it's the same game. This is something I've been dreaming of since I was a kid. Fulfilling it and making it come true is very exciting."
Tigers pitcher Keider Montero throws a pitch in the second inning against the Pirates in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at Comerica Park.
The Tigers promoted Montero as the 27th player for Wednesday's doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park. His mother cried when he shared the news.
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He was sent back to Triple-A Toledo after his start.
Manager A.J. Hinch sent a message to Montero with one out in the fifth inning, when he walked out to the mound and removed him from the game. He exited after issuing his first walk to his 19th and final batter in his 87-pitch performance.
"I told him when I was on the mound that he'll forever be a big leaguer," Hinch said. "His name is in the book, and he's going to be back. I'm really proud of his effort. Obviously, he'd want a couple pitches back that left the yard, but I'm happy for the kid to work his way to the big leagues."
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On Aug. 25, 2016, the Tigers signed Montero out of Venezuela for $40,000. International scouts Jesús Mendoza and Alejandro Rodriguez were responsible for signing him.
He was just a teenager.
"It's been a long road," Montero said.
In February 2022, the Tigers were intrigued by Montero — the high-spin curveball, the potential for a high-velocity fastball, the work-in-progress changeup — because of high praises from director of pitching Gabe Ribas.
Ribas joined the Tigers in October 2021.
"You could see his presence on the mound," Hinch said. "You saw stuff, velo, energy and a big breaking ball that impacted hitters. It was all sort of raw materials trying to figure out how to get him in the strike zone and how to use his weapons."
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WHAT WE WROTE: Tigers prospect Keider Montero has elite curveball spin, but what is he missing?
Detroit Tigers director of pitching Gabe Ribas talks to pitcher Keider Montero during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024.
Still, Montero was just an under-the-radar prospect at the time. He hadn't even added a slider yet, but that pitch was coming soon. Ribas helped teach Montero to throw his slider in spring training ahead of the 2022 season.
Montero also learned to clean up and repeat his delivery.
By November 2023, the Tigers added Montero to the 40-man roster to keep him from reaching minor-league free agency. By May 2024, Montero experienced his MLB debut with some successes and some lessons learned.
Before the doubleheader, Montero had a 4.40 ERA with 17 walks and 36 strikeouts across 30⅔ innings in nine starts for Triple-A Toledo this season. His fastball averages 95 mph, accompanied by a slider, curveball and changeup.
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"Box scores were never really the right way to look at him," Hinch said. "Raw ingredients have been off the charts. There was no doubt he was going to be a big leaguer."
Tigers pitcher Keider Montero throws a pitch in the first inning against the Pirates in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at Comerica Park.
There were positives and negatives from Montero's performance in Game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader.
He struck out five batters, including the first strikeout of his career with one out in the second inning. For his first strikeout, Nick Gonzales struck out swinging on a slider at the top of the strike zone. He also gave up two home runs. The first one, a three-run homer by Andrew McCutchen on an elevated fastball. The second one, a solo homer by Gonzales on an elevated curveball.
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Overall, Montero was pleased with what he did on the mound.
"I felt good with all my stuff, just a couple of hiccups," Montero said. "I left the ball right in the middle of the plate, and they took advantage of that, but at the end of the day, I feel good with what I did and I feel good with my performance.
"At the end of the day, it's the same thing. I have the ball; they have the bat. It's me against them, them against me. I'll keep working and believing in this process because it's getting results."
GAME 1: Tarik Skubal, Matt Vierling team up in Tigers' 8-0 win over Pirates
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GAME 2: Tigers burned by rookie flamethrower Paul Skenes in 10-2 loss to Pirates
The dream come true for Montero — who made the most of his day in the big leagues — is a win for two departments within the Tigers' organization: the international scouting department and the player development department.
It's also a win for Montero.
"When he's been good, he's been really good," Hinch said. "Swing-and-miss stuff, plus velocity, the energy that he brings on a day that he pitches. We felt like this was a great opportunity for him."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Keider Montero makes debut 8 years after Detroit Tigers signed him
