Tarik Skubal Returns to Progressive Field With a History of Dominance

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal makes his highly anticipated return and does so against one of his biggest rivals in the game today, the Cleveland Guardians, on the road.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) celebrates after a double play against the Cleveland Guardians in the sixth inning of Game 2 of ALDS. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The wait is over. Detroit Tigers ace and back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal returns to the mound after fixing loose bodies in his left elbow in May. The story couldn't get any better, as Skubal is set to take on the Cleveland Guardians, one of his and his team's biggest rivals.

While a lot is riding on this Skubal start for the Tigers, it's encouraging to see him back on the mound in the first place, following an injury that no one knew how long it would take him to recover. A victory in game two of this three-game set could change the direction of the Tigers' plans as the summer continues.

Skubal had pitched many high leverage innings at Progressive Field in the past, and if you're a Tigers fan, he's the exact person you want taking center stage to get back into the win column.

Skubal’s Dominance on the Road vs CLE

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws against the Cleveland Guardians. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tigers' ace has been dominant against their rivals in Cleveland over the years, holding a career ERA of 2.33 when taking on the Guardians in the regular season. Additionally, Skubal has struck out 84 batters compared to 15 walks in 69.2 regular-season innings.

When pitching at Progressive Field against the Guardians, Skubal has a career ERA of 2.41 over 37.1 innings. During this time, he has struck out 44 batters and walked nine. Notably, he set a career high with 14 strikeouts on the road against Cleveland in the AL Wild Card Game 1 last season, which contributed to a victory for Detroit.

Skubal holds a 10.6 K/9 at Progressive Field in his career and has allowed just 10 earned runs to the Guardians offense during the regular season. He's been bitten by the long ball four times, but has ultimately been a thorn in the side of Cleveland.

The worst moment for Skubal at Progressive Field is between hitting David Fry in the face with a fastball or allowing a grand slam in Game 5 of the 2024 ALDS to send the Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas to the next round. Other than those, he's been pretty much lights out.

This Tigers team is vastly different from the one that struggled after Skubal was placed on the injured list. The offense has been consistent, spreading the ball all over the field, which is a significant improvement compared to their performance without Skubal in May, when they went 6-22.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29), left, and pitcher Framber Valdez (59) walk off the field after congratulating teammates for the 10-4 win over the Minnesota Twins. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Skubal is just one man, so Detroit will have to take things into its own hands if it means forcing a rubber match on Sunday afternoon. It's unlikely how long Skubal will go in his outing, especially returning from injury, but rest assured, he'll give his team everything he's got.

Entering the game, the Tigers sit in fourth place in the AL Central with a 29-41 record, which places them nine games out of first place and 5.5 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. The chances for Detroit to make the playoffs are still there, but they greatly improve with the man they're sending to the mound returning to the cause.