Photo: David Rodriguez-Munoz ~ USA TODAY NETWORK
DETROIT, MICH. ~ Tarik Skubal’s return to Detroit on Friday will be one of the most emotional moments of the Tigers’ season. Less than a month after being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the former Tigers ace is scheduled to start at Comerica Park against the team with which he spent the first seven years of his professional career. For fans, it will be the first opportunity to see the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner back in Detroit since the trade that brought an abrupt end to one of the franchise’s most successful pitching eras.
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(CONTINUED) The reunion carries plenty of meaning beyond the matchup itself. Skubal rose from a Tigers prospect into one of baseball’s premier pitchers, helping lead Detroit back to the postseason and becoming a cornerstone of the organization. His departure left both an emotional and competitive void in the clubhouse.
When Skubal takes the mound Friday night, however, sentiment will be replaced by competition. The Tigers will try to hand their former ace a difficult homecoming, while Skubal will look to prove why the Dodgers acquired him at the trade deadline. For one night, the cheers, memories, and emotions surrounding his return will give way to baseball, creating another memorable chapter in the relationship between Detroit and one of the best pitchers the franchise has developed in recent years.
