Keider Eduardo Montero (born July 6, 2000) is a Venezuelan professional

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pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

for the

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(MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2024.

Career

Montero signed with the

as an international free agent on August 25, 2016. He made his professional debut in 2017 with the Dominican Summer League Tigers, posting a 4.02 ERA across 14 games (12 starts). Montero returned to the team the following year, recording a 2.14 ERA with 40 strikeouts across 15 contests. Montero split the 2019 campaign with the rookie–level Gulf Coast League Tigers and Low–A

Connecticut Tigers The Norwich Sea Unicorns are a baseball team located in Norwich, Connecticut. From 2010 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL) as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They play ...

, making 10 combined starts and compiling a 4–3 record and 2.08 ERA with 49 strikeouts across innings of work. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Montero returned in action in 2021 to play for the High–A

West Michigan Whitecaps The West Michigan Whitecaps are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Comstock Park, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids, and play their home games at LMCU Ballpar ...

, registering a 4–8 record and 5.28 ERA with 59 strikeouts across 15 starts. He remained with the club in 2022, posting a 7–7 record and 4.51 ERA with 101 strikeouts across 27 games (26 starts). Montero started 2023 with West Michigan before being promoted to the Double–A

Erie SeaWolves The Erie SeaWolves are an American professional baseball team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. They compete in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) as a member of the Eastern League's Southwest Division, serving as the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Ti ...

and Triple–A

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A baseball team nicknamed the ...

. In 27 games (26 starts) between the three affiliates, he accumulated a 15–4 record and 4.66 ERA with 160 strikeouts across innings pitched. On November 14, 2023, the Tigers added Montero to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

to protect him from the

Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

. He was optioned to Triple–A Toledo to begin the 2024 season. On May 29, 2024, Montero was promoted to the major leagues to make his Major League debut against the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

in the second game of their doubleheader. He was the team's 27th man for the game and was sent down afterwards. He was called up again to start a game on June 26, but was sent down the next day when another pitcher was activated off the injured list. Montero was again called up on July 3, to start a game after starting pitcher

Casey Mize Casey Arthur Mize (born May 1, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was selected by the Tigers with the first overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft. He played college baseball ...

had to be placed on the injured list. On September 10, he pitched a complete game shutout against the Colorado Rockies, while facing the minimum of 27 batters. He only allowed 3 hits, and all of them were forced out on double-plays. Montero made 19 appearances (16 starts) for Detroit during his rookie campaign, posting a 6-6 record and 4.76 ERA with 77 strikeouts across innings pitched. Montero was optioned to Triple-A Toledo to begin the 2025 season. He was recalled April 15 to make an April 16 start against the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Montero, Keider 2000 births Living people Connecticut Tigers players Detroit Tigers players Dominican Summer League Tigers players Erie SeaWolves players Gulf Coast Tigers players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Venezuela 21st-century Venezuelan sportsmen Toledo Mud Hens players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States West Michigan Whitecaps players