A.J. Hinch has spent nearly a month trying to move the Detroit Tigers forward after the trade that sent Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Friday night brings all of it back.
Skubal returns to Comerica Park to face Detroit only 27 days after the Tigers traded the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner. For Hinch, the problem is not simply seeing Skubal in another uniform. It is being forced to revisit a departure that still feels remarkably recent.
“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.”
There is very little distance between then and now.
Skubal made his final start for Detroit on July 29. Four days later, the Tigers officially sent him to Los Angeles for outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handed pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith.
Now the Tigers have to welcome him back and immediately figure out how to beat him.
Hinch Still Feels Detroit’s Final Days With Skubal
The emotions surrounding Skubal’s departure were intensified by what happened in his final Tigers start.
Detroit led Baltimore 7-0 before the Orioles rallied for a 10-9 victory in 12 innings. Skubal had allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings before the game unraveled after his departure.
Hinch has not forgotten it.
“That was one of the most devastating losses for all of us,” Hinch said.
Three days later, Detroit’s ace was gone.
Skubal became emotional while discussing his departure, particularly when talking about the teammates and organization he was leaving behind. His emotional reaction to the trade was detailed after the deal.
Those relationships have not had much time to become memories.
That is what Hinch expects Skubal to confront when he walks onto the Comerica Park mound.
“I think it’s really going to be emotional for him, and really weird,” Hinch said, “facing a guy right after the trade deadline.”
Skubal has already acknowledged the same issue from the Dodgers’ side. He remains close with many Tigers players and has said the entire trade process was emotional.
Once the game begins, those relationships become background noise.
Hinch Expects Detroit to Welcome Skubal Back
How Tigers fans respond to Skubal will be one of the more interesting moments Friday night.
Hinch expects appreciation.
“I think he’ll get a welcoming ovation,” Hinch said. “What he did for this city, and for this fan base and organization merits a ton of respect.
“It’s just how soon he’s coming back that makes it a difficult topic for everybody.”
That is probably the cleanest way to frame the night.
Fans can dislike the trade and still appreciate the pitcher.
Skubal developed from a ninth-round pick into one of baseball’s elite starters in Detroit. He won consecutive Cy Young Awards and helped the Tigers return to postseason relevance.
His return had already become one of the most anticipated games on Detroit’s remaining schedule when it became clear the Dodgers’ rotation would line him up for this series. His scheduled Comerica Park return became clear last week.
Now the matchup is here.
Tigers Know Exactly What Is Coming
Familiarity will not make Skubal easy to hit.
He enters Friday having gone 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA through his first four starts with Los Angeles. Detroit spent years watching him become one of baseball’s most difficult pitchers from the comfortable side of the matchup.
Now those same hitters have to stand in against him.
There was at least one piece of Tigers clubhouse equipment that departed with Skubal, too. Skubal and Casey Mize had purchased an espresso machine for the clubhouse before both pitchers were traded.
Hinch joked that Skubal took more than coffee with him.
“He also took his fastball-changeup combo,” Hinch said. “He took it all.”
That may be the easiest part of Friday for Hinch to handle.
The emotions are complicated. The baseball is not.
Detroit can acknowledge what Skubal meant to the organization. Tigers fans can give him the reception Hinch believes he deserves. Former teammates can reconnect before and after the game.
Between the lines, Skubal is simply the opposing starting pitcher.
For the first time, the Tigers have to deal with the same problem they spent years creating for everyone else.
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