The Detroit Tigers received two pitching updates this weekend, and while neither qualifies as a full-blown alarm, one is considerably easier to dismiss than the other.

Right-hander Keider Montero is being given extra time between starts after recovering more slowly than expected from his outing Tuesday against Pittsburgh. Left-hander Brant Hurter, meanwhile, has been pulled from his minor-league rehab assignment as Detroit works to correct mechanical issues that surfaced during an ugly stretch of rehab appearances.

Put them together and Detroit suddenly has two pitchers it expected to lean on down the stretch moving in the wrong direction.

Tigers Back Off Keider Montero

Montero was originally lined up to remain in Detroit’s rotation this weekend, but the Tigers changed course when he was unable to recover quickly enough to complete his normal between-starts bullpen session.

The good news is that Detroit has not announced an injury.

Manager A.J. Hinch described the decision as an attempt to manage Montero’s workload after a difficult recovery from his previous appearance.

“We’re really paying attention to the recovery coming out of his last outing,” Hinch told MLB.com. “His recovery hasn’t been as fast.”

Detroit hopes Montero can return during its Aug. 28-30 home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers if the next several days go smoothly. The schedule adjustment contributed to the Tigers opting for a bullpen game Sunday in Kansas City.

At this point, there is little reason to treat Montero’s situation as anything more than workload management. He has already established career highs in several categories this season while emerging as a much more dependable piece of Detroit’s rotation.

That development has been one of the quieter successes of the season. Earlier this month, Montero helped Detroit make MLB history by throwing 6 1/3 scoreless innings in a shutout of Cleveland in which Tigers pitchers somehow recorded zero strikeouts.

Giving him a few extra days in August is not particularly frightening.

Hurter is a different story.

Brant Hurter’s Rehab Hits a Wall

Hurter has been sidelined since May with lumbar spine inflammation and appeared to be moving toward a return after beginning a rehab assignment earlier this month.

That progress has stopped.

The Tigers removed Hurter from his assignment after five appearances in which he posted a 24.55 ERA while allowing 11 hits and four walks over 3 2/3 innings. His velocity had also been below his pre-injury level during recent outings, including an average fastball velocity of 89.7 mph on Aug. 18.

Detroit says Hurter has not suffered another injury. Instead, the organization wants him out of game competition while he works on his mechanics.

“We need to keep him out of games until we ensure he’s operating at 100 percent,” Hinch said.

Hurter will continue throwing, but MLB rehab rules require him to remain out of an assignment for at least seven days before another one can begin. There is currently no firm timetable for his return.

That distinction matters. Montero is being asked to rest. Hurter is being asked to fix something.

The Tigers have already spent much of this season rearranging their pitching plans. Hurter was transferred to the 60-day injured list in May, and Jackson Jobe only recently returned after his long recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Hurter had become one of Detroit’s most useful bullpen pieces before his injury. Getting him back would give Hinch another left-handed option capable of handling more than a traditional one-inning relief role.

The Tigers may still get that version of Hurter before the season ends.

First, they have to get him back into a rehab game.

For Montero, the next few days are about recovery. For Hurter, they are about figuring out why a pitcher who was supposed to be approaching his return suddenly stopped looking ready for one.