Tarik Skubal could be returning to a very different Tigers team than the one he left.
On Tuesday, the reigning American League Cy Young winner took to the mound for the first time since undergoing elbow surgery three weeks ago in a hopeful sign for struggling Detroit.
The Tigers, mired in last place in the AL Central — their 21-34 mark entering Wednesday’s slate tied with the Angels for the second-worst in the majors — have gone just 5-18 in May.
On Tuesday, their recent struggles were further magnified by a 10-6 loss to the Angels in which Spencer Torkelson’s blast — and almost grand slam — went just foul, while Vaughn Grissom’s actual salami in the eighth inning won it for Los Angeles.
“I don’t know that anything can add to the frustration,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters, “because it’s already at a pretty high level. I mean, it doesn’t matter how you lose; it’s still frustrating. So, yeah, you want to address things and get back in that belief that when you have wins, you’re going to get to the finish line.”
The return of Skubal could be the shot in the arm Detroit needs to jump-start its season, but the Tigers still have a lot of ground to make up in the standings.
The ace gave up a home run to teammate Jahami Jones during a 39-pitch simulated outing, but both Skubal and the Tigers have been adamant he won’t be rushed back to action.
“Really encouraging day with him on the mound,” Hinch said. “Just good to see him out there and letting the ball go freely. Velocity was really good, stuff was good, execution was OK, all things that he’s going to challenge himself with as he gets back ramped up. But it was a really good day.”
Skubal, heading toward free agency and a potentially record contract, remains the biggest name in rumors ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline and — if he can prove his health by then — fetch a massive haul.