Tigers piling pressure on Tarik Skubal after AJ Hinch reveals rotation change

The Detroit Tigers understand that desperate times call for desperate measures. For the Tigers, what was once a 15.5-game lead in the American League Central is now just one game. Detroit has lost six games in a row and nine of 10.

Meanwhile, before the Cleveland Guardians lost on Sunday, they had won 10 in a row and 15 of 16. Yes, the Tigers are desperate. They are staring at the possibility of one of the worst collapses in modern MLB history.

As such, Tigers manager AJ Hinch is doing what we’d all do in his position — relying on his most talented player to carry Detroit out of the storm.

Tigers are placing their momentous burden on the shoulders of Tarik Skubal

On Sunday, The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen revealed Detroit’s plans for who they’ll send to the mound as starters this week, and there was a big change: Skubal will be taking the mound on Tuesday against the Guardians, on just four days' rest.

After exiting a game last Friday with oblique tightness and frightening Detroit’s entire fan base, Skubal recovered quickly and didn’t miss a start, and now he’ll be revving up his usage in a situation of the highest pressure.

What does this mean? If Skubal is starting Tuesday, that puts him in line to start the regular-season finale against the Red Sox at Fenway Park should the Tigers need to squeeze out a win on the final day of the 2025 campaign. It's not a scenario anybody wants, and it'll put Skubal's availability for a potential Wild Card series in jeopardy, but the Tigers need to prepare for the worst-case scenario given how poorly they have played for over two months now.

Skubal’s increased workload will surely have consequences in the coming weeks, even if Detroit salvages a playoff start. It's good to have the best pitcher in the game on your side when you need him most, but it's not ideal how the situation has spiraled after the Tigers appeared to be the top seed in the American League for much of the season.

Once the postseason commences, Skubal could very well be coming off an exhausting week — physically and emotionally — which is the opposite of what you want your ace to be going through at the start of October.

The Tigers handled such adversity last year when they made their improbable run to the postseason, but they were also playing with house money given their minuscule odds and low expectations. This kind of strain is different, and it's not anything Tigers fans are looking forward to.