Tigers adjust weekend pitching plan with eye on MLB playoffs

If they continue to follow their normal pitching rotation order, the Detroit Tigers are slated to start staff ace Tarik Skubal in their regular season finale Sunday against the Chicago White Sox.

Hopefully, however, they won't have to.

Tigers manager AJ Hinch said this week (via Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic) that it's "unlikely" that Skubal would pitch Sunday if the Tigers have already clinched their spot in the postseason, even if they are still playing for seeding. What an utterly impossible scenario this would have sounded like even a month ago.

All the Tigers have to do to clinch a playoff berth is win one game against the White Sox, who just happen to be the worst team in baseball. As long as they do that before Sunday, they can save Skubal for when they really need him – Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series on Tuesday.

Tigers plan to start Tarik Skubal in Game 1 of AL Wild Card series if they clinch a playoff berth

If Skubal starts Tuesday in Game 1 of the Wild Card series, he could match up against Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez (2.91 ERA) or Baltimore Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes (2.95 ERA).

The Tigers have been closely monitoring Skubal's workload during the second half of the regular season, trying to keep him on at least five days' rest – rather than the usual four days – in between his starts. Initially, Detroit had put this plan in place in order to protect Skubal's long-term health. But now, it could be paying off in more ways than one; if Skubal starts Tuesday in the AL Wild Card series, he will be pitching on six days' rest.

According to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Skubal has made 11 starts this season on four days' rest, posting a 3.11 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings. On five days' rest, his ERA drops to 2.07 with 88 strikeouts in 74 innings in 12 starts. Finally, on six days' rest, Skubal has a 1.93 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings over eight starts.

So, yeah. It sounds like six days' rest is the right move for Skubal and the Tigers. And they're already prepping for it. Hopefully we'll see you on Tuesday with all of this intact.

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