Tigers Ace Tarik Skubal Has Choice Words for White Sox in Latest Outing

Tarik Skubal improved in his latest outing, but the highlight was his interaction with White Sox manager Will Venable.

Jun 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws a pitch against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers opened their most recent home series against their division rival the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers had ace Tarik Skubal take the mound and although he gave up seven hits and three earned runs, he did not disappoint.

Skubal finished his outing on the mound having thrown 5.2 innings and striking out eight batters. But the highlight of the ace's night was when he walked off the mound after he finished the fifth inning.

Skubal was walking back to the Tigers dugout and looked over at the White Sox dugout and started screaming at pitcher Mike Vasil, per the broadcast. It was not completely understood what Skubal and Vasil were saying to each other, but it was enough to rile up both dugouts. Vasil is out for the season after Tommy John surgery.

Skubal was not in line for the win when he left the game as the Tigers had not taken the lead yet. But for Skubal, this was an improvement on his last outing as he was rusty his first start back in Cleveland.

All the major MLB insiders are speculating that the Tigers could end up trading Skubal at the MLB trade deadline as he could fetch a massive return. But there is still a lot of baseball left between now and the trade deadline and the Tigers could choose to hang on to him or trade him.

The Tigers need to seriously improve between now and the deadline for the Tigers to consider keeping Skubal. Manager AJ Hinch would definitely prefer to keep his ace on staff, but if the Tigers falter even more before August when the deadline comes, the Tigers might have no choice.

Skubal Could be Auditioning for Trades

With the way that Skubal performed against Chicago, if the Tigers do choose to trade Skubal and rip the bandage off, this outing could have served as a true audition. There are going to be several teams lining up for his services in the American League and National League.

Teams like the Atlanta Braves, the Philadelphia Phillies, the New York Yankees, and a bunch of others are teams that could get into a bidding war for the Tigers ace. Skubal can also choose to tell the Tigers that he does not want to be traded and that he would like to stay.

But if the Tigers want to maximize his value and send him to a contending team, they could hold out for the best package. Regardless of what the Tigers do with Skubal, this outing was an improvement on his last.