DETROIT ― The Dodgers made it official a few hours before game time Wednesday, Aug. 26. Tarik Skubal, who just a few weeks ago was still the Tigers’ ace, would be starting the opener of a three-game series Friday night.
It would be Skubal’s first return to Comerica Park in Dodger blue.
The task at hand was to get into the clubhouse and get reaction from some of his former teammates. But look around. Jake Rogers, who caught every one of Skubal’s starts in his first Cy Young run in 2024, is gone. Casey Mize, who came up through the minors with him and was his closest friend on the team, is gone.
Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter, who also rose through the ranks with him and helped lay the foundation of the Tigers’ two playoff runs, are rehabbing injuries. Also gone.
Look around the room. Rookies everywhere. Players who barely knew Skubal ― Brett Callahan, Eduardo Valencia, Max Clark, Ben Malgeri. At least Kevin McGonigle and Hao-Yu Lee got to know him a little bit.
“It’s way too soon,” McGonigle said about facing Skubal.
Thankfully, Spencer Torkelson was sitting at his locker.
“I’m excited to face him,” he said. “He’s a Cy Young-winner for a reason. You always want to play against the best and he’s the best. … Obviously, I love him. He’s a great friend. But in between the lines, we’re trying to beat each other.”
It was Torkelson’s 27th birthday on Wednesday.
“I am an old man now,” he said, laughing.
Hardly. But looking around the clubhouse these days, you can understand why he’d feel that way.
And that’s the most striking aspect of Skubal’s homecoming.
On the day after he was traded to the Dodgers, the Tigers beat the Athletics in Sacramento, 11-0, on Aug. 2 to win their fifth straight road series. They were 1½ games out of a wild-card spot.
Momentum was building. A lineup featuring a seemingly healthy blend of veterans (Greene, Torkelson, Colt Keith, Dillon Dingler, Javier Báez, Zach McKinstry) and rookies (McGonigle, Clark, Lee) was starting to gain traction.
That’s neither the lineup nor the vibe Skubal will encounter Friday.
In the span of 26 days, the Tigers have all but cycled out of contender mode back into development mode.
They have gone 8-13 since that win in Sacramento. They are 3-11 since Greene went down with a hamstring strain. They are eight games back, all but out of the Central Division race entering Thursday’s games. They are 5½ games back in the wild-card race with five teams between them and the third spot.
The fight level hasn’t changed inside the clubhouse, but the story lines are already shifting. It’s going to be less about series wins and games behind and upcoming matchups and more about Jackson Jobe’s new curveball or the benefits of Troy Melton ditching his windup or Clark showing he can defend himself well against left-handed pitching or McGonigle’s drive for rookie of the year honors.
Before too long, more young players are going to make their way to the big leagues. Lefty Andrew Sears made his debut last week and it looks like he’ll be sticking around, either in the rotation or as a bulk reliever. Right-hander River Ryan, one of two top-100 prospects the Tigers got in return for Skubal, is expected to get here next month, as soon as he clears his hamstring issues.
It’s starting to feel like 2023 all over again, though without the promise Skubal and Mize brought.
“I try to run this organization with on eye firmly planted on the present and one eye firmly fixed on the future,” Tigers president Scott Harris said on Aug. 4, the day after the trade deadline. “Unfortunately, when you take that approach, sometimes it leads to very difficult decision points. This was a very difficult decision point.”
Greene’s injury seemed to be the final straw. The Tigers had overcome injuries all season ― 35 players on the 40-man roster served time on the IL. Even immediately after the trades, the Tigers stayed in the fight. They were one game under .500 and a half-game out of a wild-card spot when Greene went down.
Now, both eyes can be fixed on the future.
“When he got traded, I was rooting for this to be pushed into the future,” Hinch said.
Weren’t we all.
The stakes might not be the same when Skubal takes the mound Friday night. The Dodgers are gearing up for a three-peat and the Tigers are in the process of reorganizing for 2027. But it should still be good theatre.
There could be some boos mixed with the “Skuuubs,” simply because of the sting of losing a star player and what his trade signified for the Tigers. But given all Skubal did for this franchise and fanbase the last two years, the cheers should quickly drown out the jeers.
After all, he didn’t ask to be traded.
“It’s going to be emotional all over again,” Hinch said. “We can have a ton of respect for him and for his time here, but also make it a bad Friday for him.”
▶ Series: Three games at Comerica Park, Detroit
▶ First pitch: Friday ― 6:40 p.m.; Saturday ― 1:10 p.m.; Sunday ― 1:40 p.m.
▶ TV/radio: All three games on Detroit Sports Net/97.1 FM
▶ Probables: Friday, Aug. 28 ― LHP Tarik Skubal (8-7, 2.91) vs. RHP Drew Anderson (4-5, 4.09); Saturday, Aug. 29 ― LHP Blake Snell (2-1, 2.57) vs. RHP Keider Montero (9-8, 3.30); Sunday, Aug. 30 ― TBA vs. LHP Framber Valdez (8-9, 4.35).
Scouting report
▶ Skubal, Dodgers: The last time he took the mound at Comerica Park he was wearing the Old English D and he got a thunderous ovation when he left the game in the seventh inning. Now he’s back, seemingly finding his groove with the Dodgers. He struck out 11 hitters in seven innings in Pittsburgh last time out. One of the oddities this season has been his issues with left-handed hitters. They are hitting nearly 100 points higher than righties (.282 vs. .189) with an OPS that’s 200 points higher (.755 vs. 553).
▶ Anderson, Tigers: He has essentially taken Skubal’s spot in the rotation and is coming off a five-inning loss to the Royals, done in by a pair of solo homers in a 3-1 loss. He is getting a 38% whiff rate with his changeup and 34% with his curveball, which is helping him average 10 strikeouts per nine innings. But recently the damage is coming off big flies ― four homers, seven earned runs allowed in his last three starts.
Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky