AJ Hinch's Tarik Skubal announcement just made everything real for Tigers

The Tigers were hopeful that Tarik Skubal's rehab start at High-A West Michigan Sunday would be one-and-done, which would set him up for a return to the major leagues on Friday or Saturday during their series against the Guardians.

But it felt almost too good to be true. He was coming back over a month after a surgery everyone expected to keep him out for 2-3 months? The Tigers have been so unlucky with injuries this year that fans were just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It hasn't so far. On Thursday, AJ Hinch confirmed Skubal will start the Tigers' second game against Cleveland on Saturday.

Skubal, by all accounts, is the consummate competitor. He might not be as inaccessible on start days as, say, Max Scherzer, but he is intense. He's got a particular kind of fire in him that only the best do.

This return might be the biggest test of his career — and this is a guy who's already had to make a comeback after Tommy John. The Tigers aren't quite flailing anymore, but they have a long, long way to go to make up the ground they've lost.

The question is: can Skubal stay healthy? Can he take the momentum the Tigers already have to the next level?

Tarik Skubal's return to Tigers confirmed for Saturday against Guardians

Bob Nightengale recently wrote that team executives believe it'll take three solid starts for Skubal to convince the league that he's healthy. It was written in a "will/should the Tigers trade Tarik Skubal" context — because of course it was — and Tigers fans don't care in the slightest if he convinces the rest of the league. He needs to convince us.

These next few Skubal starts and the games in between are going to be a test. Is Skubal actually healthy, are the June Tigers the real deal?

It's better that the Tigers are getting him back now, when they've already gone through what we hope is the worst of their season. It might've been even more devastating if Skubal was around in May and was still pitching well, only for the offense to let him down during every start.

Right now, it's clear that the Tigers are feeling themselves, and why shouldn't they? Now that they have Skubal back, they should let that high carry them and step it up yet another notch.

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