There will be a familiar face on the mound at Comerica Park on Friday, albeit in unfamiliar colors.
Tarik Skubal, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, will start for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Detroit Tigers - his former team - in Friday's series opener, manager Dave Roberts announced Wednesday. He'll be returning to Detroit barely one month after the Tigers sent him west in a blockbuster deadline deal.
Skubal's last appearance wearing the "Olde English D" came in Comerica on July 29, when he went 6 2/3 innings against the Baltimore Orioles and left to a standing ovation. Four days later, he was dealt to L.A. for prospects Zyhir Hope, Brady Smith, and River Ryan.
"I'm sure it will be emotional there just because of the history," Skubal said Wednesday, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. "But at the end of the day, I've got to go play baseball. I've got to compete and do what I do well, what makes me a good pitcher. I'll probably handle the emotions after.
"... That whole process was emotional. I have a lot of respect for those guys over there. I'm just going to go play baseball."
Skubal turned in spectacular Cy Young-winning seasons, including a Triple Crown in 2024, and led Detroit to consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in a decade. However, the Tigers were unable to reach an extension with the 29-year-old in spring training after agreeing to a one-year deal via arbitration.
"Obviously this is something that was not his doing. He did a lot of good things for the city of Detroit. And his best friends are still on that ball club, self-admitted," Roberts said while adding that Skubal's been a great fit in the Dodgers' clubhouse. "So I hope (the Tigers) do the festivities the night after we win on Friday. So the emotion doesn't get to him and he can just kind of enjoy the welcome back."
The southpaw has boosted the Dodgers' already star-studded rotation as they try to win their third straight World Series. However, he's continued to speak fondly of his former team since being moved, saying earlier this month that he'd "love to return" to Detroit as a free agent this winter.
Skubal's in the midst of another brilliant season, sporting a 2.91 ERA, 2.60 FIP, and 0.95 WHIP with 146 strikeouts over 20 total starts between the Tigers and Dodgers. He's tallied 30 strikeouts while issuing only seven walks along with a 3.38 ERA in his four starts for L.A., including an 11-strikeout performance in his most recent outing against Pittsburgh.
The Tigers went on a bit of a run immediately after trading Skubal, but have since fallen back to earth. They enter Wednesday having lost nine of 11 while sitting five games behind Cleveland for the final AL wild-card spot.
Skubal isn't the only superstar the Tigers might see on the mound this weekend. Shohei Ohtani may be ready to start Sunday's series finale, pending the results of Friday's bullpen session, Roberts said, according to Jack Harris of the California Post. If Ohtani does pitch Sunday, it will mark the four-time MVP's first mound appearance since July 3.
