Overview
- Skubal is scheduled to start at Comerica Park on Friday after a rehab outing in which he threw 80 pitches, worked 4 2/3 innings and struck out four while allowing two earned runs.
- Detroit’s 30-44 record has put the club in seller-or-holder territory and Skubal’s ability to eat innings is the single biggest factor in front-office trade deliberations.
- Major outlets list Skubal as the top starting-pitch target for contenders because he is a two-time AL Cy Young winner who showed velocity and swing-and-miss in his first outing back.
- The Tigers’ internal depth is under strain: Erie starter Andrew Sears looked promising in a rehab start but Lakeland infielder Franyerber Montilla re-injured his knee in his first game back from an ACL absence while a Lakeland bullpen meltdown exposed late-inning risk.
- If Skubal continues to show length and effectiveness, contenders such as Toronto, the Cubs and other big-market teams are expected to pursue him vigorously before Aug. 3; if he cannot sustain workload, Detroit will face pressure to rely on internal arms or sell him for prospects.