Brant

Hurter

Hurter rejoins Detroit’s bullpen mix ahead of Tuesday’s series opener against the Guardians. The 27-year-old southpaw holds a strong 2.45 ERA across a career-high 58 2/3 innings over 38 appearances this season at the big-league level.

Hurter heads back to the minors after posting a rock solid 2.45 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 62/27 K/BB ratio across 58 2/3 innings (38 appearances, four starts) this season for Detroit. The fact that he’s been shipped out with those types of numbers tells fantasy managers how deep the Tigers’ bullpen is heading into the home stretch and postseason.

Brant Hurter will be the opener for Friday’s game. Montero worked behind an opener in his last outing as well, and it’s a way to keep the 24-year-old from seeing the Cincinnati lineup face the right-hander multiple times. He still has a chance to qualify for a win with the bulk assignment, but there are better streaming options for Friday’s slate.

It was Hurter’s first start of the year. He routinely went 4-5 innings as a bulk guy for the Tigers last season, but he’s yet to throw more than three innings in 14 appearances this season. The left-hander has a 2.08 ERA in 26 innings during 2025, and he’s come in at 2.40 in 71 1/3 innings since debuting last summer. He’d be just fine in an expanded role if the Tigers ever have the need.

Hurter replaced Tarik Skubal to begin the seventh and had a pretty easy time in allowing only a couple of singles and one walk over the rest of the game. It’s his second three-inning save already, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he gets a few more, assuming that he isn’t eventually needed in the rotation.

Hurter surrendered all of the runs in what turned out to be a 5-0 game. The left-hander’s velocity is a little off from last year, and he wound up getting just one missed swing on 48 pitches today. Hurter has already turned into a big long shot in the rotation competition with Jackson Jobe, Casey Mize and Kenta Maeda all throwing well for Detroit. He did, however, figure to have a spot in middle relief. That’s going to be in jeopardy if he doesn’t turn it around.

Hurter is a rotation possibility for Detroit, but it seems clear that he’s a fallback behind the likes of Jackson Jobe, Casey Mize and Kenta Maeda. Most likely, he’s going to begin the season in middle relief.

Hurter took over after Keider Montero pitched a scoreless first and went without allowing a run despite giving up five hits. Beau Brieske replaced him with two on in the fifth and stranded both runners. Hurter, who was also very effective in a bulk role at the end of the regular season, has pitched five scoreless innings over two postseason appearances to date.

Hurter has been so good that the Tigers are going to have to keep using him like this behind Tarik Skubal in the postseason. He closes out the regular season 6-1 with a 2.58 ERA. The Tigers have won each of his last seven appearances, and they only lost his first three because they totaled three runs in those games.

Beau Brieske opened the game and retired all four batters he faced before turning things over to Hurter. The 26-year-old Hurter, pitching in his eighth game as a big-leaguer, remained perfect through the seventh before walking Adley Rutschman in a long at-bat to begin the eighth. He was lifted at that point, and Brenan Hanifee retired three in a row to finish the eighth. Tyler Holton took over in the ninth and wound up losing the no-hitter after 26 outs on a groundball triple from Gunnar Henderson. Hurter won a fifth straight outing between one start and four appearances as a bulk reliever; he’s pitched 24 2/3 innings and allowed six runs in those games. His overall ERA stands at 2.56 in 38 2/3 innings. The bulk role really does help with wins, so he’s not a bad option right now. However, it looks like he probably won’t pitch again before next Friday in a rematch versus the Orioles.