Skubal to make only one start for Team USA in World Baseball Classic

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Monday looked like a typical Spring Training outing for Tarik Skubal, who opened his 2026 season with four strikeouts over two scoreless innings in Detroit's 3-0 loss against the Twins. Aside from one start for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, he said afterwards, it will be a typical Spring Training for the Tigers ace.

Skubal will make another start for the Tigers on Sunday against the Blue Jays at Joker Marchant Stadium, then make a start for Team USA next week during pool play in Houston. After that, he will return to Lakeland and make the rest of his starts for the Tigers, no matter how far Team USA advances.

“I'm making one start,” Skubal said. “The reason I didn't announce it [earlier] was I wanted to keep the momentum on the WBC, but I'm just making one start and then I'll stick around for a few games. I haven't determined what games I'm going to watch. If they go to the finals, I think I'm going to try and lobby to just go watch and be with the guys. But yeah, I'm just making one start and getting back on track and getting back to here.”

The one-start setup was part of the condition for Skubal joining the national team.

“It's kind of the best of both worlds. That was the communication I had with those guys,” Skubal said. “There's some risk obviously, and I'm trying to do both things, trying to pitch for Team USA, but also I understand I need to be here with these guys and get ready for the season. I think it's kind of the best of both worlds in that aspect, and I'm grateful they took me in that capacity.”

Skubal is scheduled to make his third consecutive Opening Day start for the Tigers, who begin the season against the Padres in San Diego on March 26. Skubal and the Tigers built out his Spring Training schedule around that target, having him pitch every 5-6 days.

“The whole point of me doing the WBC was to make sure that I could stay on a normal workload of a Spring Training regimen and be able to make a start for Team USA and then come back here and continue my normal routine to get ready for Opening Day,” Skubal said. “I think everything's going to stay the same. I'm not ramping up earlier than I need to. I don't want that narrative out there. I'm treating this as I'm going to Team USA, making a start, coming back to Lakeland and getting ready to go for Opening Day.”

Even in a one-start format, Skubal is looking forward to taking in the WBC experience.

“I've heard it's pretty close atmosphere-wise [to a postseason game],” Skubal said. “I think that's going to be a ton of fun, going and doing that, and just sharing the clubhouse with those guys. You watch the whole Team USA hockey [vs.] Canada thing -- you should've been in our clubhouse. I wish it was whatever hour slot you guys had [for media access], because I think the whole place erupted when Team USA gets that goal. Hopefully, that's a similar impact for Team USA in Miami and being able to celebrate with those guys, something special like that. I know it's not a gold medal, but it's still the World Baseball Classic.”

Skubal has been on his normal buildup, but he has been ahead of hitters since camp began. He was one of the first pitchers to throw live batting practice, facing fellow WBC participants Gleyber Torres (Venezuela), Jahmai Jones (Korea) and Hao-Yu Lee (Chinese Taipei) before full camp opened. There was very little batting involved, as nobody made solid contact off of him.

Slugging prospect Josue Briceño (Detroit's No. 3 prospect) made an impression with a lefty-lefty homer off of Skubal’s slider in his next live batting practice, but he focused in from there. On Monday, two of Minnesota’s first three hitters singled, creating an immediate stretch situation, but Skubal struck out Ryan Jeffers and Matt Wallner to end the threat. After former Tiger Gio Urshela grounded out to lead off the second inning, Skubal fanned Emmanuel Rodriguez and Aaron Sabato to end his outing, capped by a 98 mph fastball past Sabato.

“Work the whole first [inning] out of the stretch, make pitches when you need to with runners on first and second, start the second inning off with a PFP, and then get my work in that I needed to get in," Skubal said. “I mean, if you could script a Spring Training first [outing], that's kind of how I think you'd want to script it.”