02/23/26 08:32:00
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02/23 20:30 CST Tigers ace Tarik Skubal to make just 1 start for Team USA in
World Baseball Classic
Tigers ace Tarik Skubal to make just 1 start for Team USA in World Baseball
Classic
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) --- Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal plans to make only one
start for the United States in the World Baseball Classic, regardless of how
far Team USA advances.
The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner wants to remain on a regular spring
training regimen and ramp up for opening day mostly with the Tigers.
"The reason I didn't announce it (sooner) was I wanted to keep the momentum on
the WBC, but I'm just making one start and then I'll stick around for a few
games," Skubal told reporters Monday in Florida. "I haven't determined what
games I'm going to watch. If they go to the finals, I think I'm going to try
and lobby to just go watch and be with the guys. But yeah, I'm just making one
start and getting back on track and getting back to here."
Skubal made his first Grapefruit League start Monday, striking out four over
two scoreless innings of two-hit ball in Detroit's 3-0 loss to the Minnesota
Twins. He is expected to pitch for the Tigers again Sunday against the Toronto
Blue Jays and then start for the U.S. late next week during WBC pool play in
Houston.
After that, the rest of his outings this spring will come in a Detroit uniform,
he said.
"It's kind of the best of both worlds. That was the communication I had with
those guys," Skubal said. "There's some risk obviously, and I'm trying to do
both things, trying to pitch for Team USA, but also I understand I need to be
here with these guys and get ready for the season. I think it's kind of the
best of both worlds in that aspect, and I'm grateful they took me in that
capacity."
Skubal, who can become a free agent in the fall, is scheduled to start
Detroit's season opener March 26 in San Diego. The 29-year-old left-hander won
his salary arbitration hearing with the Tigers this month and will be paid $32
million this season instead of the team's $19 million offer.
The WBC runs from March 5-17 in Tokyo, Houston, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and
Miami, where the final will be played for the second straight time.
"The whole point of me doing the WBC was to make sure that I could stay on a
normal workload of a spring training regimen and be able to make a start for
Team USA and then come back here and continue my normal routine to get ready
for opening day," Skubal said. "I think everything's going to stay the same.
I'm not ramping up earlier than I need to. I don't want that narrative out
there. I'm treating this as I'm going to Team USA, making a start, coming back
to Lakeland and getting ready to go for opening day."
Skubal, a two-time All-Star, has won the past two AL Cy Young Awards and ERA
titles. He was 13-6 with a career-best 2.21 ERA in 31 starts last season,
striking out 241 and walking 33 in 195 1/3 innings. His 0.891 WHIP topped
qualified pitchers.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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