Skubal Braces For Emotional First Trip Back To Detroit
Skubal Braces For Emotional First Trip Back To Detroit
Tarik Skubal will pitch at Comerica Park on Friday night for the first time since the Detroit Tigers traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers, a return he expects to carry emotional weight. The left-hander said he will try to stay focused on his new team rather than on memories from his time in Detroit.
"We'll see, right?" Skubal told SI.com on Wednesday. "The whole process was emotional. I have a lot of respect for those guys over there. I'm just going to go play baseball." Skubal made his major league debut with the Tigers in 2020 and spent his entire career there before the Aug. 1 trade sent him to Los Angeles, barely a month before Friday's game. bet on caf champions league
Skubal, 29, enters the series with an 8-7 record and a 2.91 ERA on the season. Since joining the Dodgers, he is 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA in four starts, including his first win with the club - a 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh last Saturday in which he struck out 11 over seven innings. He is a two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner, now pitching for a franchise that has won the last two World Series titles.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he trusts Skubal's temperament to handle the return. "I think, you know, that whole 'be where your feet are' adage, I think that's just who he is," Roberts said Wednesday. "Some people have a hard time letting go, but I think that Tarik is a guy that, wherever he's at, he's all in." Roberts added that he expects Skubal to keep engaging with teammates and coaches despite the circumstances, calling him a valuable addition to the club beyond his pitching.
Skubal acknowledged the moment will test him. "But at the end of the day, I've got to go play baseball," he said. "I've got to compete and do what I do well, what makes me a good pitcher. I'll probably handle the emotions after." Detroit is expected to counter with right-hander Drew Anderson, who is 4-5 with a 4.09 ERA, in the opener of the three-game series.
