For weeks, everyone knew Tarik Skubal’s return to Comerica Park was going to be strange.

A.J. Hinch knew it better than most.

The former Detroit Tigers ace walked into the visiting clubhouse Friday, warmed up in the visitors’ bullpen, received a tribute from the organization that developed him and then took the mound wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform.

After it was over, Hinch sounded like a man who understood Detroit needed to finally get through the moment.

A.J. Hinch: ‘Tonight Had to Happen’

Skubal held the Tigers to one run over six innings in Los Angeles’ 2-1 victory, allowing four hits while striking out seven and walking nobody. He departed after 83 pitches with the game tied. Skubal’s six-inning performance highlighted his first game back in Detroit

But Hinch’s postgame comments were less about the pitching line and more about what the night represented.

“It was a lot, for everybody in the building. But it’s necessary for everybody to take a step forward and move on and not have this be such a hot topic. Tonight had to happen. We put some good swings on him and put a little pressure on him.”

That may have been the most revealing comment of the night.

Not because Hinch suddenly wanted everyone to forget Skubal.

Quite the opposite.

Skubal meant a lot to the Tigers, his former teammates and the city. That was obvious before the game when Detroit honored Skubal with a video tribute as he walked back from the bullpen and the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

But eventually, somebody had to throw the first pitch.

And somebody had to try to beat him.

Hinch Had Been Dreading the Reunion

What makes Hinch’s postgame admission more interesting is that he had already acknowledged before the series that he would have preferred this reunion to happen much later.

“When he got traded, I was sort of rooting for this to be pushed into the future, and not to have to do it a couple weeks later. But that’s the challenge in front of us, and we can have a ton of respect for him and his time here, but also try to make it a bad Friday for him.”

That did not happen.

Instead, Skubal returned less than a month after the trade, while the emotions surrounding his departure were still fresh.

The buildup had dominated the series opener. How would the fans react? Would Skubal get emotional? What would it be like for his former teammates to face him?

Detroit had already spent days discussing the emotion surrounding Skubal’s return to Comerica Park.

By Friday night, there was only one thing left to do.

Play baseball.

Detroit Can Finally Turn the Page

The Tigers did not get the result they wanted.

Max Clark’s fifth-inning RBI triple gave Detroit a 1-0 lead, but the Dodgers tied the game in the sixth before Freddie Freeman drove home the deciding run in the eighth. Los Angeles escaped with the 2-1 victory. The official game recap shows Detroit managing five hits in the loss

Still, Hinch’s point went beyond one loss.

Skubal came back.

Detroit honored him.

His former teammates faced him.

The fans got their opportunity to welcome him — and eventually root against him.

Now the reunion is no longer something looming over the schedule.

It happened.

And for Hinch, that appears to matter.

There will always be respect for Skubal in Detroit. There should be.

But Friday finally allowed everyone involved to begin separating what Skubal was to the Tigers from what he is now.

An opponent.

As Hinch put it, tonight had to happen.