Tarik Skubal Won’t Feed Into ‘Loser Mentality’ After Loss to Guardians

The last thing in the world Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is ever going to do is make excuses — even when he has every right to.

Skubal returned to the rotation on Saturday on the road against the Tigers’ AL Central rivals, the Cleveland Guardians. Skubal returned far sooner than anyone expected after he suffered an elbow injury in May that led to surgery on a loose body in his left elbow.

Instead of having a full-blown elbow surgery, like many expected, he had an arthroscopic procedure to remove just one loose body from his elbow. Instead of needing several rehab starts to ramp back up to return to the majors, he only needed one. That was last Sunday in front of a sellout crowd at High-A West Michigan.

He didn’t have his best stuff against the Guardians. He gave up a home run he doesn’t normally allow. Not that he was interested in excuses after the game.

Tarik Skubal’s Return to the Rotation

Welcome back 29 🥹 pic.twitter.com/yrQsnjGwOt
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 13, 2026

Per The Athletic (subscription required) and other outlets, Skubal refused to make any excuses for not getting out of the fifth inning and leaving the game in line for the loss.

“I don’t really want to play into that narrative of trying to be back,” Skubal said. “I need to be better, and that’s plain and simple. I think if I’m just happy to be here, that’s kind of a loser mentality to me.”

Skubal allowed five hits and three earned runs in the 3-1 loss to the Guardians. He struck out four and walked one in 4.2 innings as he threw 80 pitches, 53 of which were strikes. The home run came off the bat of Daniel Schneemann in the third inning. The Guardians slugger drove in another run to break a 1-1 tie and put Cleveland ahead for good.

The two-time Cy Young winner is likely to regain his form in time, based on his rehab start last Sunday. He threw five innings, gave up two hits as he struck out six and walked none. He threw 54 pitches, 44 of which were strikes.

With Saturday’s loss, Skubal is now 3-3 with a 2.81 ERA in eight starts. He has struck out 49 and walked seven in 48 innings. Detroit needed him back in any form as they just lost Jack Flaherty to the injured list and are still waiting for the return of Justin Verlander, who has been out since April with a hip issue.

Casey Mize, who went on the injured list for the second time this season late last month, is set to return and pitch for the Tigers on Sunday in the finale against Cleveland. Skubal is likely to pitch again on Friday at home against the Chicago White Sox, based on normal rest.

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