It was hard to tell who was happier on Monday, May 18, before the Detroit Tigers’ series opener vs. the Cleveland Guardians: Tarik Skubal or A.J. Hinch.
Well, maybe it wasn’t that hard.
After all, Skubal just has to worry about getting his left arm healthy enough to pitch again.
Hinch has to worry about everything else during a terrible, injury-filled stretch that’s probably making him feel like the captain of the Titanic, wondering if he can keep the whole thing afloat long enough until help arrives.
That’s why, even with a thunderstorm delaying the start of a four-game set against Cleveland at Comerica Park, the Tigers’ manager was practically beaming.
A small ray of hope had broken through. There was, for the first time in a long time, the smallest glimmer of positivity. In the faint distance, the light at the end of the tunnel was, well, here.
Because Skubal was back in Detroit, and here to stay until the next big step, when he gets a rehab assignment. The Tigers transferred the left-hander’s rehab from Florida to Comerica Park, where he could be monitored and guided by pitching coach Chris Fetter.
Skubal had been rehabbing in Lakeland, where he had thrown a bullpen off a mound. On Monday, he threw his second – even though the storm kept him out of the actual bullpen at Comerica Park.
“So I think that it’s obviously great news,” Hinch said. “He did that once in Lakeland. He will do it again today and will stay with us as he builds volume and routines in the five-, six-day routine, like a starting pitcher would.”
Hinch didn’t want to get ahead of himself. It was only a step, he said.
But it was clearly a good step.
“Still don’t know what that means yet,” Hinch said, “until we can get more and more eyes on him and build his volume. It’s not a step fast-forward, it’s also not slowing him down, it’s just going step by step, and the next step is this one.”
Shortly after Hinch spoke, reporters filed into the clubhouse and saw the unfamiliar sight of Skubal getting dressed for his bullpen. An hour later, he was in the media interview room, sweaty and wearing his usual sleeveless T-shirt and a camouflage bandana. Oh, and something else: A smile.
“It’s good to be back,” he said. “I bet you guys didn’t expect to see me here.”
No, not really, because recovery from arthroscopic surgery to remove “loose bodies” from an elbow typically takes 2-3 months, though the new NanoNeedle Scope process should cut that down. One very good sign: Skubal threw all his pitches but didn’t throw with maximum effort, even though he wanted to.
“And I think that’s the hardest part right now,” he said, “is because I feel really good and I want to let it go, but I’ve instructed not to.”
Skubal is one of 13 Tigers on the MLB injured list, but he has an outsized importance that has seemed to affect the rest of the team, which has gone 2-11 since his IL stint was announced May 4.
That’s why Hinch was not only happy about the improving status of key injured players such as Gleyber Torres, Troy Melton and Kerry Carpenter, but also for the mere influence Skubal’s presence can have on his teammates.
“That feel of having some familiar faces around who we expected to be integral in our success, it has to, you have to feed off that,” Hinch said. “It’s hard not to smile and give Tarik a big bear hug when you see him, regardless of whether he’s going to pitch in the series or not. There’s a definite vibe that comes with it.”
The Tigers need that vibe in the worst way. They’re 20-28, tied for last in the American League Central after dropping another game to the Guardians. The Tigers entered Tuesday 6 ½ games back of the division leaders, only a few hours after Hinch acknowledged the division runs through Cleveland, which has won the Central each of the past two seasons.
Luckily, Skubal is used to playing the cheerleader role since he spends the majority of his time in the dugout anyway.
“You know, simple things: good swing, good inning, you know, whatever it is, try to get guys to go out and perform their best, and that responsibility has never changed,” he said. “And that’s something that I take pride in, because I know those guys trust me and believe in me. I just right now, I can’t go out and perform, you know?”
Yes, we know. Especially when the de facto ace is Framber Valdez – the lefty has been up and down in his first season with the Tigers, but was mostly down Monday in the 8-2 loss to Cleveland. He gave up four runs on five hits with four walks and got almost no run support.
After the loss, Hinch was asked if he was worried about frustration setting in with his team. His answer was a sobering indictment about the team’s predicament.
“If we’re just getting frustrated now, then we’re late,” he said. “Where we’re at, we’re going to have to stay together, work together and really dig ourselves out of this, one step at a time. I worried about frustration a long time ago.”
Skubal’s presence might help. The healthy return of key players should, too. But turnarounds nearly a third of the way through a baseball season aren’t easy. Even if you have the best pitcher in game cheering you on.
Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com and follow him on X @cmonarrez.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tarik Skubal return to Detroit Tigers offers glimmer of hope
Reporting by Carlos Monarrez, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
