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.

MILWAUKEE — Just 25 years old, Gary Trent Jr. has established himself as a reliable double-figure scorer and one of the NBA’s best outside shooters. That the Milwaukee Bucks could sign him to a veteran’s minimum contract this summer stands as one of the biggest steals of free agency.

At 6-foot-5, the former Duke star can play shooting guard and small forward, giving Milwaukee options with its first and second units. Trent Jr.’s career 39 percent accuracy on three-pointers could add even more firepower to a Bucks team that ranked fourth last season in effective field goal percentage.

Here are three benchmarks for Trent Jr. in 2024-25 that could be predictors of success.

Trent Jr. has achieved this benchmark twice in his six NBA seasons, and there are good reasons to think he can do it this year:

Effective three-point shooting spaces the floor and keeps defenses honest. Trent Jr.’s success will make life easier for the Bucks offense.

As much as Milwaukee will need to rely on his perimeter shooting, they also will need Trent Jr. to cover up Lillard’s defensive deficiencies by taking on the tougher guard matchups.

Having gained a reputation as a gambler on defense, Trent Jr. twice averaged better than 1.5 steals in Toronto. Only six players averaged 1.5 or more steals per game last season.

At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Trent Jr. is lengthy enough to disrupt passing lanes and rack up deflections. He has averaged 1.2 steals per game across his seven-year playing career.

This benchmark will depend on playing time and shot selection.

Trent Jr. twice took 200-plus free throws and made 83% or better, but he also averaged four to six more minutes on court than his career average. Last year while averaging 28 minutes a night — his lowest figure in five seasons — Trent Jr. shot more threes than twos and, as might be expected, fewer than 100 free throws.

So the more reasonable goal could be the free-throw accuracy, which will help.

Since 2017-18, the Bucks have found themselves in the bottom half of the league in team free-throw percentage. The biggest part of that is Giannis, who has averaged 70 percent during his 11-year career.

Free throws made and missed are often the difference in close games. As a career 81.9 percent free-throw shooter, Trent Jr. joins Lillard (92 percent in 2023-24) and Middleton (83.3 percent in 2023-24) as trusted ballhandlers at crunch time.

For his six seasons, Trent Jr. has connected on 83 percent of his free throws twice. It’s doable, but in this offense 200 attempts may be a long shot.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Animal Care and Control (MACC) are reminding the community to be aware of bats, report bat exposure and be wary of the rabies risk that comes with bats. 

MACC is saying they have received “several reports of bats in homes every day”, with some that tested positive for rabies. 

Pets and bat exposure

MACC recommends that all pets should be vaccinated against rabies, as it is 100% fatal if pets aren’t vaccinated. 

“Pets are like young children. They’re vulnerable and can’t speak to tell us if they come close to a bat or just see it from across a room,” said Tony Schendel, MACC director. “They need to be vaccinated to help prevent this horrible disease. Rabies is 100 percent fatal in pets if they’re not protected.” 

Here’s what is recommended if your pet is exposed to a bat or bit: 

• Pets should be taken to a veterinary office or clinic for a rabies booster within 72 hours of exposure or bite, even if your pet is already vaccinated against rabies.
• MACC says the pet could have a time of confinement and/or quarantine, with lengths varying.
• If your pet is not vaccinated and exposed to a bat, MACC will impound it until the bat has been tested and tests negative.

MACC is going to offer low-cost vaccine appointments on-site and will be made available in the next few months. 

These Minneapolis clinics can also provide rabies vaccines for pets: 

• Creekview Recreation Center, 5001 Humboldt Avenue North, has walk-up appointments from 9 a.m.- noon on the third Sunday of each month.
• VeTouch, 2501 Minnehaha Avenue, has appointments available on the first Sunday of each month. To make an appointment email vetouch@umn.edu.

Humans and bat exposure

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says rabies in humans is rare, but there are steps to be taken if you are exposed to or bitten by a bat: 

• After being bitten or having a “low-risk exposure like waking up to a bat in your bedroom”, MDH says it‘s safe to wait one or two days for the rabies test results to come back to take any further action.
• If you are bitten on the face or head, it could be more urgent, and MDH encourages you to consult them by calling 651-201-5414.
• But if the bat can’t be  tested, you should get the rabies shots.

“Bats can fit through a hole the size of a dime, so people can help keep bats out of their homes by plugging up exterior openings, gaps around utility lines and spaces between a window and an air conditioning unit,” said Carrie Klumb, senior epidemiologist and rabies surveillance coordinator with the MDH. “People can also have a bat removal specialist out to their homes to help them.” 

How to handle and report a bat

MACC asks people to safely capture the bat, to learn how to do so, watch this video. After capturing the bat, call 911 and have a professional collect the animal. 

According to officials, a bat should be tested if: 

• A person was bitten or had any physical contact with the bat.
• Waking up and finding a bat in the bedroom.
• A bat that was in a room with a young child or a person who can’t reliably report what happened.

Any questions about bats or need assistance from MACC, call 612-673-6222. You can also call the Minnesota Animal Bites and Rabies Hotline at 651-201-5414. 

When are bats more common? 

MDH says that July through mid-September is the busiest time of year for bats, as they seek shelter in warmer places, like homes, as temperatures get colder. 

Bats are the most common animal to carry rabies, the Centers for Disease and Control said.