The Detroit Tigers are not easing Andrew Sears into the Major Leagues.

They are handing him innings that matter.

Detroit is expected to call up the 23-year-old left-hander Sunday for his MLB debut against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium, with manager A.J. Hinch planning to use Sears as the bulk pitcher in a bullpen game. The move comes after the Tigers adjusted their rotation to give Keider Montero additional rest and pushed Framber Valdez back to Monday.

What makes the Andrew Sears promotion interesting is how quickly Detroit decided he was ready. Sears did not spend months knocking on the door at Triple-A Toledo. He basically walked up, knocked twice and was invited inside.

Andrew Sears Earned His Shot Quickly

Sears was promoted to Toledo on Aug. 9 and made only two appearances before getting the call. He did not allow a run across 9 2/3 innings in those outings, continuing a season in which he has produced a 2.16 ERA with 67 strikeouts over 58 1/3 minor-league innings. His official minor-league statistics show how quickly he climbed.

That rise is even more impressive considering Sears did not begin his season until May while working his way back from a fractured bone spur in his left elbow. He eventually returned to Double-A Erie before making the jump to Toledo earlier this month.

Detroit apparently saw enough.

“He pitches with some intensity, he’s got real weapons,” Hinch told MLB.com.

That might be the most important part of this promotion. Sears is not getting the call simply because Detroit needs someone capable of absorbing innings Sunday. The Tigers clearly believe there is something here worth testing against Major League hitters.

Tigers Are Betting on Sears’ Deception and Slider

Sears is not the stereotypical overpowering pitching prospect. His fastball generally sits around 93 to 94 mph, although he can reach 97, and his low three-quarter release creates an unusual look for hitters.

His best pitch is a mid-80s slider or sweeper, while he has also worked on developing a split-change as a third offering. MLB Pipeline grades the slider as the best pitch in his arsenal and had previously listed Sears with a 2027 Major League ETA. MLB Pipeline’s scouting report details the unusual delivery and pitch mix.

So much for 2027.

The Tigers selected Sears in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, 290th overall. That same draft produced Max Clark with the third overall selection and Brett Callahan in Round 13. Now Sears is another member of that class reaching Detroit, while Callahan has already made an immediate impression after his own August promotion. MLB’s original signing tracker confirms Sears and Callahan were taken three rounds apart in that first draft class under Detroit’s revamped baseball operations structure.

There is a larger organizational point hiding inside a one-day pitching move.

Detroit has spent much of this season testing how quickly its younger players can handle Major League responsibility. Jackson Jobe’s return to the rotation has already put another young arm into meaningful August games, and Sears now gets his opportunity during a stretch in which the Tigers badly need innings and wins.

Sears does not need to prove Sunday that he belongs in Detroit’s rotation for the next five years. That would be a ridiculous conclusion from one appearance.

He can prove something smaller and potentially more useful: that the Tigers have another left-handed arm capable of missing Major League bats right now.

Considering he was pitching in Double-A earlier this month, even getting that question answered this soon is a pretty interesting development.