Detroit Tigers Ace Not Worried After Being Hit by Comebacker

It was a tough afternoon for the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, as they were unable to complete the sweep of the Colorado Rockies at home.

The Tigers missed an opportunity to gain more ground in the American League Wild Card race, as they had their ace Tarik Skubal on the mound. As expected, he pitched well for Detroit, but Jason Foley allowed two runs in the top of the ninth inning, which proved to be enough for the Rockies. 

While the loss wasn’t ideal for the Tigers, they still won the series.

However, the big story coming out of the game is the health of Skubal.

In the sixth inning, he was hit by a comebacker off the bat of Brenton Doyle, which slammed into his right hand/wrist area above the glove.

After taking a few minutes to gather himself and throw some pitches, Skubal finished the frame. However, despite throwing just 84 pitches, he did not come out for the seventh inning.

After the game, he gave an update on how he was feeling. 

“It’s a little sore, but I think I’m fine,” Skubal said to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. “I got some good news. Obviously, there’s going to be probably some more tests done. But I’m not too worried about it.”

Initial X-rays look to be negative for Skubal which is very encouraging news, as an injury at this point in the season would like to result in his year being finished.

He discussed the decision not to come out in the seventh inning, as he and team decided it was the smart move. 

“I think it’s just being a little smart,” Skubal said to Petzold. “It was obviously uncomfortable catching the ball more than anything, but I think I’ll be fine going forward. I’m not really too worried about it.”

Playing it safe with Skubal was certainly the right move for the Tigers, as he is the likely Cy Young Award and has at least two more starts coming in the regular season that could prove pivotal in their playoff chase.

The Tigers need all they can get from him. 

Next up will be a huge series against the Baltimore Orioles, a tall task where every game will be difficult to win without Skubal slated to start any of them.

With the final Wild Card spot within reach, hopefully his hand is alright and won’t require him to miss a start or have one pushed back.