While the Detroit Tigers have had a great season so far, there are areas that are of concern. One of those is in the bullpen, and specifically, with Tigers fan-favorite Brant Hurter.
After the Tigers’ latest game against the Minnesota Twins, Tigers’ manager A.J. Hinch commented on his reliever’s struggles postgame. According to Chris McCoskey of Detroit News on Twitter/X, Hinch expressed his belief and trust in Hurter despite his rough outing.
AJ Hinch on Brant Hurter: “We trust him. We believe in him. He can be better and he’s going to be better. The best remedy for things like this is to go out and have a good outing. And that could be as early as tomorrow.”
— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) June 28, 2025
“We trust him. We believe in him,” Hinch said. “He can be better, and he’s going to be better. The best remedy for things like this is to go out and have a good outing. And that could be as early as tomorrow.”
Hinch’s comments come after Hurter’s disastrous outing against the Twins. Coming into the game at the top of the sixth with a runner on first, Hurter struggled immensely. After the baserunner stole second and got to third on a wild pitch, Hurter walked Ty France.
The next batter, Brooks Lee, hit a single to center field, scoring the runner from third and sending the other runner to third. Then, on his ninth pitch of the inning, Hurter hit Kody Clemens with a pitch to load the bases.
Fortunately for Hurter and the Tigers, Carlos Hernandez came in and got two huge outs without allowing a run. Hurter ended the day with a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and one hit, but wasn’t credited for an earned run allowed as the runner that scored wasn’t his.
His season ERA sits at 2.75, but his past four outings have been worrisome. This outing didn’t go well, but he escaped disaster thanks to Hernandez. In his previous outing, he allowed two earned runs and got no outs.
The outing before that, he got two outs but allowed two hits and got docked for the loss. Finally, in Hurter’s fourth most recent outing, he went one inning, allowing four hits and three earned runs in his second loss of the season.
His struggles have mainly been in the past few weeks. While he’s been great the rest of the year and was solid in the 2024 season, the recent struggles from Hurter are concerning.
However, despite his recent struggles, Hinch still believes in him. While he’s struggled, his history in the Majors points towards these struggles being a blip in his season. Hinch won’t be afraid to throw Hurter back out there, as the 26-year-old has the trust and belief of Hinch and the organization.
