Tigers' Rafael Montero Earns More Opportunities with Dominant Stretch

The Detroit Tigers have another weapon emerging in their bullpen.

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The Detroit Tigers raised a lot of eyebrows with how they operated ahead of the MLB trade deadline this year.

Despite having the resources to swing a big trade, they opted instead to make several depth additions. It left a lot of people wanting more, especially when it came to their additions to the pitching staff. No real needlemovers were acquired, outside of possible Washington Nationals closer, Kyle Finnegan.

He transformed himself into a dominant force out of the bullpen with the Tigers. The veteran right-hander was the most impactful deadline addition, not allowing a run through his first 12 outings and 14.1 innings pitched. Unfortunately, the only thing that has slowed his dominance is an injury.

Who Will Step Up for Tigers in Absence of Kyle Finnegan?

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Finnegan has landed on the injured list with a strained groin. It is a huge blow to the Detroit bullpen. He was combining with Will Vest to create the most dominant one-two punch at the back end of a bullpen in baseball in August. His performance was a big reason the Tigers bullpen performed so well overall.

Without him in the mix, other players are going to have to step up their performance. One pitcher who looks to be up to the task is Rafael Montero. Like Finnegan, he was acquired ahead of the MLB trade deadline, coming to Detroit from the Atlanta Braves.

It was a deal that left a lot of people scratching their heads because of how ineffective he had been thus far in 2025. With the Braves, Montero made 36 appearances, throwing 34.1 innings with 34 strikeouts. He had a 5.50 ERA and -0.4 bWAR, failing to make any positive impact on the squad.

The start of his tenure with the Tigers was just as rocky. He surrendered two earned runs in his debut with the team and then again in his third outing. He threw 2.2 innings, allowing three hits and issuing four walks without striking out a single batter.

Rafael Montero Has Caught Fire for Tigers

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However, since that point, Montero has figured something out. Manager A.J. Hinch’s trust in him is improving, pitching in the ninth inning or later in seven out of his last nine appearances. His production during that time has been through the roof.

In 10.2 innings of work, he has not allowed a single run. Walks remain a problem, with six free passes being issued, but he has been able to work around them allowing only one hit. Eleven batters have been struck out, with the veteran righty turning himself into a reliable arm out of the bullpen.

This is a major development for Detroit because they are in need of someone who can step up with Finnegan sidelined. Tommy Kahnle is still working on regaining the trust of the coaching staff after a brutal summer. If Montero can keep up this hot streak, it will greatly help the team make up for the loss of Finnegan at the back end of the bullpen.