Tarik Skubal returns to Detroit with the intention of “tearing the Tigers to shreds
The former Tigers ace returns to Comerica Park in a Dodgers uniform just weeks after his departure
Tarik Skubal’s return to Detroit couldn’t come at a stranger time. Just weeks after the Detroit Tigers traded their former ace to the Los Angeles Dodgers , the two-time American League Cy Young winner is heading back to Comerica Park wearing the uniform of the opposition.
Friday night will mark Skubal’s first appearance against his former team since the trade. For the 29-year-old left-hander, it’s bound to be an emotional occasion.
Detroit drafted Skubal in the ninth round in 2018 out of Seattle University, and over eight seasons, the organization helped transform him from a promising prospect into one of baseball’s elite pitchers.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has admitted that the reunion isn’t something he’s particularly looking forward to.
“I wish it was next year," Hinch told USA TODAY Sports. “I don’t really want to go through the emotions again. It kind of puts a pit in your stomach. It was just so public."
Detroit had hoped to keep its ace through the end of the season and make another postseason push.
Those plans changed rapidly after the Tigers suffered a devastating loss to the Baltimore Orioles, blowing a seven-run lead before eventually falling 10-9 in 12 innings. Three days later, Skubal was gone.
The Tigers received three prospects from Los Angeles, while Skubal joined a Dodgers team with legitimate World Series ambitions.
Skubal knows emotions can’t get in the way
Despite the circumstances, Skubal understands that Friday’s game is still a baseball game. He’s expected to feel the weight of the moment when he steps onto the Comerica mound, but he knows he’ll have to put those feelings aside once the competition begins.
“I’m sure it will be emotional there just because of the history …” Skubal told reporters. “The whole process was emotional. I’m telling you, man, I’m really close with all those guys. That environment over there, everyone was together always."
That focus has also helped him adjust to life with the Dodgers. Through his first four starts in Los Angeles, Skubal has posted a 3.38 ERA with 30 strikeouts over 24 innings.
While his early numbers haven’t matched the dominant form he displayed in Detroit, there’s little doubt the Dodgers expect him to become a major weapon when October arrives.
Skubal has another unusual way of keeping himself grounded. During the season, he regularly watches true-crime documentaries as part of his daily routine. He recently watched a documentary about Charles Manson , joking that the experience was particularly wild.
As for Detroit fans, the focus will be less on Skubal’s routines and more on what he meant to the team.
He spent years becoming the face of the Tigers’ pitching staff and helped end Detroit’s long playoff drought. A return this soon after his departure may feel strange, but it also gives fans an opportunity to show their appreciation.
Hinch expects Skubal to receive a warm reception. Once the first pitch is thrown, though, that sentiment will have to disappear.
