Dodgers lefty Tarik Skubal spent the first 6 ½ seasons of his MLB career with the Tigers. Friday, he returned to the mound in Detroit’s Comerica Park for the first time since being traded just under a month ago. He went out and did what he’s done on that mound many times: Looked like one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Skubal’s final line: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K.

He did not figure in the decision, as the game was tied 1-1 when he departed. The Dodgers took the lead with a run in the top of the eighth to move to the eventual final score of 2-1.

The Tigers played a tribute video for Skubal before the game. Remember, he was the AL Cy Young winner for the Tigers in both 2024 and 2025, leading the ballclub to two straight playoff appearances as their ace. 

The video brought out an emotional reaction from Skubal. 

In Skubal’s 153 career appearances with the Tigers, Skubal went 61-42 with a 3.04 ERA (137 ERA+) and 1,005 strikeouts in 863 ⅓ innings. He also had a 2.04 ERA in six playoff starts. Still, when Skubal took the mound, there was a mixed reaction with some cheers and some boos from the crowd on hand. 

The Tigers never made a contract extension offer to Skubal after their four-year, $75 million ask before the 2024 season. The front office then decided to trade Skubal when the Tigers were only 2 ½ games out of a playoff spot in a wide-open American League. He even hustled back from elbow surgery after only roughly six weeks on the shelf. The argument for booing him would be, I guess, that he was going to leave in free agency (and, again, the Tigers were not even making an offer to stay). The argument against booing is everything else. 

“I think he’ll get a welcoming ovation,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said before the game, via USA Today. “What he did for this city, and for this fan base and organization merits a ton of respect.”

For some fans on hand, they agreed and cheered. Others felt differently.