Tarik Skubal made what could be his final start in a Detroit Tigers uniform on Wednesday with trade rumors heating up ahead of Monday’s deadline.
However, he didn’t have the opportunity to make the start alongside his usual catcher, Jake Rogers, after the Tigers surprisingly designated Rogers for assignment on Tuesday.
Rogers made his MLB debut with Detroit in 2019 and quickly earned the support of Tigers fans. However, he struggled to make an impact this season, and the Tigers cleared a roster spot for Javier Baez’s return by designating Rogers for assignment.
Skubal Has Emotional Reaction
Before taking the mound Wednesday, Skubal spoke about Rogers being designated for assignment.
“It’s a business, right? You understand the decision and I’m not worried about him and his career. He’s going to land somewhere… I had already left before that had happened, so I didn’t have a chance to say bye, which kind of sucks… but yeah, it sucks.
“We’ll always have a special connection. Once baseball’s all done for both of us… 2024 is a season that I’ll never forget. He helped guide and navigate me to my first Cy Young, so that’s something that I’ll always appreciate… But yeah, it sucks nonetheless.”
Tarik Skubal was emotional as Jake Rogers was DFA’d by the Tigers.
“We’ll always have a special connection,” he said. “2024 is a season I’ll never forget… He helped guide and navigate me to my first Cy Young, so that’s something that I’ll always appreciate.” pic.twitter.com/gyTHBYZ0hF
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) July 29, 2026
Tigers Right Now
Skubal recorded his 1,000th career strikeout on Wednesday and finished the outing by pitching 6.2 innings, allowing four hits and three earned runs while striking out six batters.
Detroit entered the game with a 51-57 record, sitting just five games back in the AL Central and 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.
That makes the next few days especially intriguing as the Tigers must decide Skubal’s future. If they choose not to trade him, they could be setting up a scenario where he enters free agency this offseason while continuing to seek a long-term contract.
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