DETROIT -- Almost 23 months and two surgeries had passed since Michael Fulmer took the mound for a start at Comerica Park. He spent so much time at the Tigers’ Spring Training complex in Lakeland, Fla., that he would’ve been forgiven for thinking he lived there. With that in mind, whatever happened in his start for the 2020 home opener was a bonus.

Even putting his outing in that context, however, Fulmer would’ve liked to have kept more of his pitches in the ballpark during the Tigers' 14-6 loss to the Royals at Comerica Park.

“Not the Cinderella comeback story I was hoping for,” the 2016 American League Rookie of the Year said. “Just a little rusty.”

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At the other end of Detroit’s pitching procession was Anthony Castro, the third Tigers player of the night to make his Major League debut. For the 25-year-old right-hander, who wasn’t added to the 40-man roster until last winter after his seventh pro season, this was a Cinderella story.

Castro spent the season-opening series at Cincinnati on Detroit’s taxi squad and had just reported to the alternate training site in Toledo on Monday afternoon when Triple-A manager Tom Prince told him to head back to Detroit for his first big league call-up. As he warmed up for the ninth inning, the empty ballpark did nothing to calm his adrenaline.

“It was amazing,” Castro said, “everything I’d dreamed since I was 7, 8 years old. I’m extremely glad to get the chance. Thank God that I’m here.”

Castro also thanked manager Ron Gardenhire, who has a pitching bind to solve.

“We’ve got 16 pitchers already, and tonight, we could’ve used a few more,” Gardenhire said. “If there was any fun at all tonight, it was watching those young men go out and compete, getting their first action in a Major League Baseball game. That’s always the fun part.”

The Tigers need an effective Fulmer, but they need him to stay healthy most of all, which is why he’s serving as an opener for now. While he goes through that process -- and while the Tigers wait for Daniel Norris’ return and top prospect Casey Mize’s potential arrival -- the team needs pitchers and innings, which is why Beau Burrows, Kyle Funkhouser and Castro are here.

“It’s a learning process,” Gardenhire said.

Fulmer’s fastball was a tick off his pre-Tommy John surgery form, averaging just more than 93 mph and topping out just below 95, according to Statcast. His slider was also a tick slow, but it was nasty early, drawing three swings and misses in the first inning and five in his 2 2/3-innings outing.

Once Royals hitters laid off Fulmer's slider and focused on his fastball, however, he had trouble. He didn’t take the loss, but he gave up three home runs that sparked Kansas City's comeback from a 5-1 Detroit lead.

“I thought the slider was good,” Fulmer said. “The pitch is definitely there, just kind of lacking consistency and command. I thought the first inning went great. I even thought the second inning went great. … And then the third inning just fell apart, just overthrowing, too amped up.”

JaCoby Jones’ three-run home run, his second homer in three nights, put the Tigers in front and seemingly had them poised for a 3-1 start. By the time Detroit scored again, Kansas City had scored 12 consecutive runs.

The Royals tied a franchise record with six home runs. Maikel Franco’s second-inning solo shot opened the scoring, but Whit Merrifield’s one-out homer in the third off a Fulmer fastball ignited the rally. Three batters later, Salvador Perez laid off back-to-back sliders out of the strike zone before sending a 2-1 fastball 434 feet toward the flagpole in left-center.

After Ryan O’Hearn battled out of a 1-2 count for a two-out walk, taking a pair of changeups, Fulmer’s outing was done. Gardenhire made clear that Fulmer will continue to serve as an opener for now, and he might do so for the remainder of the 60-game regular season. Fulmer allowed four runs on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

“Whether he got worn out or whatever, this is probably what you're going to see,” Gardenhire said. “He's going to have those innings until he gets stretched out a little bit.”

Once the rookies entered, the Royals kept hitting, moving in front with five runs off Funkhouser and three more off Burrows. Brett Phillips’ opposite-field, two-run homer in the ninth off Castro completed the scoring.

Still, it was a valuable experience. And more than an hour after the game, as Castro walked back out onto the field and took a picture, it was a reminder of what this means.

“Even with no fans, it’s still a big stage,” Gardenhire said. “I think, later on, maybe you get up tomorrow morning and realize, ‘I just pitched in my first Major League game,’ I think that’ll probably be a pretty good feeling, whether you did great or whatever. Unfortunately, a little bit of roughness out there, but that’s OK. They can go up from here.”