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Detroit Tigers at 30-44 Host AL-Central-Leading White Sox While 6½ Games Out of Wild-Card Spot
Left-hander Tarik Skubal warned that continued poor performance could prompt the front office to trade players before the August deadline.
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The Detroit Tigers entered Friday at 30 wins and 44 losses, 9½ games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central and 6½ games out of the final American League wild-card berth. The club begins a three-game series against the division-leading White Sox the same day.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal, the two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner, told The Detroit News that the team must improve before the August trade deadline.
"The reality is we need to play better baseball or else, come the deadline, you give the front office an option to reassess where this team is," Skubal said. " Skubal is scheduled to make his second start since undergoing surgery on May 6 to remove bone fragments from his elbow when the Tigers host the White Sox on Friday.
He said the club still controls its destiny and must approach each game with urgency.
"We play the team this weekend that's winning our division," Skubal said. "You don't want to be playing playoff baseball in June, but it feels like we're playing playoff baseball. " Detroit's other players entering free agency after the 2026 season are Kenley Jansen, Casey Mize, Gleyber Torres and Jack Flaherty.
Skubal said he tries not to dwell on the deadline and instead focuses on winning the next game. "Everybody, the whole room, needs to focus on winning tonight's game, winning a series, winning the next series and just let it snowball," he said.
