KANSAS CITY -- The Tigers added another strong left-hander to their bullpen by calling up No. 14 prospect Andrew Sears to make his MLB debut prior to Sunday’s finale against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
The 23-year-old reliever actually joined the Tigers prior to Saturday night's contest so he could acclimate to the big leagues, but was officially activated Sunday morning. As corresponding moves, the Tigers optioned lefty Enmanuel De Jesus to Triple-A Toledo and designated outfielder James Outman for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Sears.
The Tigers are expected to use Sears as the bulk option for Sunday against the Royals, per manager A.J. Hinch, after the Tigers decided to rearrange the rotation and give Keider Montero a few extra days of rest -- which pushed Sunday’s original starter, Framber Valdez, to Monday. Sears will enter in the second or third inning after opener Jacob Waguespack.
Hinch said that Sears will get an extended look for the remainder of the season, and his role as a starter or bulk reliever will be determined on a game-by-game basis depending on bullpen usage.
COMPLETE TIGERS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Sears has been impressive in the Minor Leagues since beginning his season in mid-May after recovering from a fractured bone spur in his left elbow. The lefty has a 2.16 ERA across four levels, most notably Double-A Erie, where he compiled a 2.57 mark across 35 innings. Sears was called up to Triple-A Toledo on Aug. 9 and has thrown 9 2/3 scoreless innings across two appearances.
“He pitches with some intensity, he’s got real weapons,” Hinch said. “He’s demonstrated the ability to compete against anybody. So I told him inside that his best is good enough, he just needs to come out and remember the game and get to strike one. His stuff is going to play very well here. The fact that he can miss bats, the fact that he’s got multiple weapons, he is in attack mode.”
Sears’ intensity was discussed pregame as a noticeable attribute to the quickly-rising reliever. He’s not afraid to show emotion and has the stuff to back it up. Taken in the 10th round (290th overall) in the 2023 Draft, Sears has amassed a 2.83 ERA across 65 Minor League games. He’s struck out 292 batters in 260 innings while also lowering his walk rate each season.
His slider is his best pitch with a lower arm slot that makes it harder to pick up, and per MLB Pipeline, Sears sits around 93-94 mph with his fastball but can hit as high as 97 mph. He’s also known to have a frantic pace on the mound, firing pitch after pitch as soon as the batter acknowledges him in the box.
“You’re going to see him pitch with some intensity, some speed, since adrenaline,” Hinch said. “Once he settles in [the Majors], the emotion will come with it. Good prospect to come up and give the challenge to pitch at the highest level.”