Tigers Make Tarik Skubal Decision After Guardians Rainout
Detroit's series finale against the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday afternoon was rained out. It has been rescheduled for Sept. 4 at 2:10 p.m.
Right-hander Casey Mize was in line to return from the injured list to make Sunday's start. However, the game's postponement means some rotation changes are on the horizon for the Tigers.
Ace pitcher Tarik Skubal returned from the injured list on Saturday. He threw 80 pitches across 4 ⅔ innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs. He tacked on four strikeouts while limiting the walks to one.
The 29-year-old took only 45 days to recover from bone chips in his pitching elbow. Now fully back in the Detroit rotation, hopefully the team can get back on track.
The Tigers are 29-42 heading into mid-June, nine and a half games back of the Guardians in the American League Central.
The good news is that it seems like Skubal is immediately getting right back into the swing of things. Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group reported Sunday that the ace will remain on schedule for his next start. "Yes. Skubal remains set for Friday."
Yes. Skubal remains set for Friday. https://t.co/EVFnKSWZp3
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) June 14, 2026
That Friday start for the lefty will take place in Detroit against the upstart division rival Chicago White Sox. That lineup has given a lot of teams some trouble this year, so it will be interesting to see how Skubal does in that matchup.
In 48 innings pitched this season, Skubal is 3-3 with a 2.81 ERA and 49 strikeouts to only seven walks. The strikeout rates are a bit down compared to his previous two seasons, but it's likely to even out with more than half the season remaining.
The Tigers will start next week in Houston. Troy Melton, Framber Valdez and Mize are scheduled to go Monday through Wednesday.
With Skubal and Mize back healthy again, Detroit's rotation is once again looking like it has potential to be among the best in MLB.
Related: Tigers Announce Jack Flaherty News After Exiting Guardians Game
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This story was originally published June 14, 2026 at 4:06 PM.