Facing Elimination The Tigers Updated Tarik Skubal’s Status

Highlights

• Tarik Skubal, the reigning Cy Young winner, went 13–6 with a 2.21 ERA this season
  
• Rookie catcher Dillon Dingler says the team is energized knowing Skubal is lined up for a potential Game 5
  
• The decision runs against the “all hands on deck” mantra often heard in October
  

The Detroit Tigers have spent all season building around their ace. Now, with the season on the line, they won’t use him.

A.J. Hinch made it clear before Tuesday’s Game 4 that Tarik Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young winner, will not take the mound in an elimination game. 

Instead, Hinch is holding him for a possible Game 5.

“No,” Hinch said when asked if Skubal could be an option. “Tarik is going to start Game 5. I know he’s done his normal prep as he would to be prepared for an all-in Game 5.”

It’s not shocking in one sense. 

Skubal just pitched Sunday, which would give him just two days' rest. 

Still, it cuts against October tradition. Managers always say “all hands on deck” when survival is at stake. Apparently not this time.

A Season of Dominance

Skubal’s 2025 numbers explain why this choice is drawing attention. He finished 13–6 with a 2.21 ERA, racking up 241 strikeouts across 31 appearances. His 0.89 WHIP and 7.8 WAR ranked among the best in baseball. Opponents hit just .202 against him.

By almost any metric, Skubal was one of the game’s most efficient and overpowering arms. He limited barrels, missed bats with a balanced fastball-slider-changeup mix, and carried Detroit through the summer with Cy Young form.

It’s a hard arm to keep on your bench with your season on the line. 

Dingler’s Take

The Tigers clubhouse still sees upside in Hinch’s plan. Rookie catcher Dillon Dingler framed it as a challenge.

“Obviously, we’re very excited for that situation, but at the same time, we’ve got to get there,” Dingler said. “We’ve got to get there, which means we’ve got to take care of business today. We’ve got to put our best foot forward today, make sure we have all the energy in the dugout, have good at-bats, play good defense,and  have good pitching today.

“So that’s going to be a really good feeling after we win the game today.”

Win Game 4, and the Cy Young winner is waiting in a winner-take-all finale.

But first, this young team has to get there.

The Risk

The danger is obvious. If Detroit loses Tuesday, Skubal never gets the ball again this season. Saving him for Game 5 only matters if there is a Game 5.

Hinch has a reputation for calculated risk. He is a manager who sticks to his plan. But playoff history is filled with examples of managers leaving their best pitchers idle while seasons ended.

Detroit has other arms it trusts, but none with Skubal’s resume. His dominance was the engine of this run. The idea of him sitting in the dugout while the season slips away is the kind of image that gets replayed on highlight reels for years.