ST. PETERSBURG -- The sound of Tarik Skubal's fastball hitting the catcher’s mitt popped a tick louder Monday. The acoustics of renovated Tropicana Field played a big role in that.
Still, as Skubal took his simulated game series on the road with a four-inning session here on Monday afternoon, racking up six strikeouts, the louder sounds were fitting: Skubal’s comeback is quickly approaching, and none too soon for a Tigers squad that has been reeling ever since he went on the injured list, albeit for many reasons beyond Skubal’s absence.
“It was obviously a step in the right direction and continuing to show progress and throw with freedom,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Velo was normal, which means high. And his reactions are starting to get even more and more competitive. To me, that's signaling that he's getting closer to pitching competitively than he is rehabbing.”
Latest stop, Tropicana Field. Next stop, Iowa?
That’s where Triple-A Toledo is playing this week. And while both the Tigers and Skubal want to wait and see how his arm feels coming out of Monday’s outing, the Mud Hens are the logical spot for Skubal to make a rehab start, even if it means hitting the road.
“I think it was another good day, another positive day,” Skubal said. “I feel great now, went through all my post-throw stuff in the weight room and the training room and I feel good. Now I just need to sleep well, wake up and see how I feel tomorrow. But like I said last time, don’t expect anything to be different. I’m going to be general pitching sore, but that’s a good thing.”
By unofficial count, Skubal threw 64 pitches, 45 strikes. Ten of those strikes came on whiffs as he worked through a mini-lineup of Jahmai Jones, Jake Rogers and Zack Short. The only solid contact was a first-inning line drive from Rogers and a third-inning ground ball from Jones that scooted along the artificial turf.
“Execution was a lot better,” Skubal said. “I thought today was who I am on the mound. Sinker to the glove side was a highly-executed pitch. Some spin backdoor got a little below late as I probably got a little tired. Curveball execution was great. Some four-seam command could probably be a little bit better, especially late in counts. But at that point, I’m nitpicking.”
Interspersed within the outing were a few points when the batter would step out of the box and Hinch would step in to hit fungoes that would require Skubal to get off the mound to field the ball and make a throw to first base.
The pitcher fielding practice normally gets done before or after a throwing session. Skubal wanted it during the outing to simulate in-start conditions. That says as much as his pitching about how close he is to getting back to game action.
“I don’t know the plan yet,” Skubal said, “but if I’m going to get on game action soon, I just need to do some PFP and just get a feel for getting the ball, throwing the ball to first, throwing the ball to second, all the little things that get overlooked. When you don’t do the small things right, it can make a big difference in the game.”
If Skubal makes a rehab start over the weekend, he could be in line to rejoin the Tigers rotation after that. The following weekend, the Tigers are in Cleveland for a three-game series against the Guardians that represents Detroit’s best chance to gain ground in the American League Central before the Trade Deadline on Aug. 3. The Tigers and Guardians don’t play again after that series until mid-August.
With the Tigers sitting in the AL Central cellar entering Monday, speculation over a potential Skubal deadline trade has overtaken speculation about his potential return for the hottest buzz around baseball.
“With all the trade stuff, we just have to start winning baseball games, and you can kind of put that stuff to the side,” Skubal said. “Last year, there was not one word about me being traded. But the [previous] years, there's probably been something about me ever since, what, '22? So winning kind of calms all that stuff down, and that's what this team needs to do. We need to win today's game.”