Overview
- Manager A.J. Hinch announced Thursday that two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will be activated to start Saturday in Cleveland after a brief rehab stint.
- Skubal underwent a less-invasive nanoscope procedure to remove a loose body from his left elbow on May 6, a technique the team says shortened the usual 2–3 month recovery.
- Right-hander Casey Mize is likely to return Sunday if a scheduled bullpen session goes well and the club provides final medical clearance.
- Justin Verlander completed a recent Triple-A rehab start in which he allowed four solo homers, a result that has raised readiness questions even as the Tigers hope to activate him during next week’s Houston series.
- Detroit may shift Javier Báez to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot once Verlander is ready, and Skubal’s late-July trade value as a pending free agent now figures prominently in the club’s buy-versus-sell calculus.