Fans expecting to see an extensive look at the Tigers' star ace in the upcoming World Baseball Classic will likely be disappointed.
There’s certainly risk and reward that comes with participating in the World Baseball Classic, with a bit of a larger spotlight of scrutiny placed on the top players in the MLB. That's something the Detroit Tigers had to reckon with regarding star ace Tarik Skubal. Several devastating injuries to stars have led to altered campaigns for clubs who may have contended with their presence. Now, players are just as likely to get hurt before the season in spring training – like Minnesota Twins’ righty Pablo Lopez, who is now done for the year. However, that’s a bit more of a necessary evil, if you will, for teams to prepare for the upcoming season. The WBC, in contrast, carries a bit more risk for no apparent reward to clubhouses. The Tigers seem to be quite cognizant of that when it comes to protecting their star ace.
Skubal announced on Monday that he intends to only make one WBC start for Team USA before being done with the tournament, indicating the start will come early in pool play, after which he’ll turn his attention to preparing for the Tigers’ 2026 campaign. He did say that he’d ask Detroit to rejoin Team USA as a spectator should they make the finals, but fans expecting to see more from the star ace will be disappointed nonetheless.
Here is the full story from Tigers Roundtable writer Chris Castellani breaking down the logic behind the decision for Skubal and Detroit.
It makes sense to try to limit any wear-and-tear and exposure to risk of injury, as the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner is a major part of the club’s plans to contend for the AL Central title.