Kansas City, May 8, 2026, 18:11 CDT
Keider Montero gets the start Friday for the Detroit Tigers, who have few options left in the rotation as they kick off a three-game set at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium. First pitch comes at 6:40 p.m. CDT. Montero (2-2, 3.48 ERA) lines up against Royals lefty Kris Bubic (3-1, 3.32 ERA), according to MLB’s probable-pitchers page.
This one carries some weight for Detroit, desperate to keep a rough stretch from spiraling. Tarik Skubal heads for surgery to clear “loose bodies”—those pesky fragments in his elbow—just as Framber Valdez starts a five-game suspension. MLB actually knocked that down from six, but for now, Detroit’s rotation is running thin on experience. Reuters
Kansas City has a shot here. The Royals head in at 17-21, trailing Detroit by a single game; the Tigers are 18-20. Bobby Witt Jr. just cranked out four hits against Cleveland on Thursday, though it wasn’t enough for a win. Detroit isn’t traveling well—6-14 on the road—but still manages a .326 on-base percentage, ranking fifth in the AL.
Montero’s assignment doesn’t get much simpler: pound the zone, spare the bullpen, and hope Detroit can ride a solid start. Last time out, he logged 6 2/3 innings against Texas and allowed just one run. When he’s faced Kansas City before—three starts in all—Montero’s put up a 4.08 ERA, collecting 10 strikeouts and issuing two walks across 17 2/3 frames.
Kansas City’s edge with Bubic isn’t ironclad. He surrendered five runs across 4 2/3 innings facing Detroit back on April 16; Montero, pitching for the Tigers in that one, gave up four runs over six frames.
Royals are still drawing the edge, with BetMGM pricing Kansas City at -155 on the moneyline and Detroit sitting at +125. Total runs set at 8.5. In this setup, a minus indicates the favorite, plus points to the underdog.
Joe Jensen over at Predictem points out that while Bubic definitely racks up more strikeouts, his command has been shaky—19 walks scattered across 40 2/3 innings. The K/9 metric tilts toward Bubic, but Montero’s ability to limit free passes could give Detroit the edge if this one turns into a close contest.
“You have to go out there and expect to win every game,” Detroit bench coach George Lombard said after Wednesday’s loss. Royals manager Matt Quatraro put it plainly after Kansas City issued eight walks to Cleveland: “You can’t give a team like that, any team, eight walks.” Reuters
No cushion here before Memorial Day. Detroit just wrapped up a sweep of Kansas City at home not long ago, and since September 2024, the Tigers are 15-4 against the Royals. Kansas City, though, has a shot to leapfrog Detroit in the AL Central if they pull off a big weekend.
This isn’t just Detroit’s problem. Kansas City has its own issues: the Royals put Cole Ragans on the 15-day IL Friday with a left elbow impingement and called up Stephen Kolek and Steven Cruz. Their rotation is suddenly thinner, too. If Bubic loses his command, that home-field comfort can disappear fast.
Detroit has more gaps now. Gleyber Torres landed on the 10-day injured list after straining his left oblique—Tigers called up Jace Jung from Triple-A Toledo, shifting pieces again ahead of a road series they badly need to stabilize.
The Tigers aren’t solving their rotation with a win here—it just gives them breathing room. Kansas City, on the other hand, sees the opener as an opening: a shot to capitalize on Detroit’s tough stretch and climb the standings, with Bubic set to go before either side digs too far into its bullpen options.
