Tigers pulling Skubal for Turnbull
With eye on managing workloads, Hinch sends Skubal to bullpen as Turnbull returns
After three starts, the Detroit Tigers are pulling left-hander Tarik Skubal from the rotation.
It has nothing to do with the 24-year-old Skubal's 0-2 record or even the 6.08 earned-run average he carries through 131/3 innings.
What Tigers manager A.J. Hinch wants to do is control the innings for his young pitching staff while at the same time making room for the return of right-hander Spencer Turnbull, who will make his season debut on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park.
“The hardest thing is having (Skubal) understand there's a plan in place,” Hinch said. “One of the things we want to do is get them through the season. It's not an indictment of him or what we think of his first few starts. (It's being) smart about our pitching resources throughout a sixmonth season.”
Skubal, who got into eight games with the team during last year's pandemic-shortened season, was rated the fifth-best prospect in the organization coming into the season.
The 28-year-old Turnbull, who was 4-4 in 11 starts last season for the Tigers, is making his debut after being shut down in early March due to COVID-19. Right-handed reliever Joe Jiminez will likely be sent down to make room for Turnbull on the roster with Hinch wanting to keep 14 pitchers on the roster.
Hinch said it's unrealistic to expect a lengthy start from Turnbull this early and Skubal, who threw his normal bullpen session Sunday, will be used as sort of a tandem starter at some point during the three-game series with the Pirates, which begins on Tuesday.
“So, Skubal will (be) pitching in the Pittsburgh series,” said Hinch, whose team was swept in Oakland by the A's after Sunday's 3-2 loss followed a 7-0 loss on Saturday.
“It has nothing to do with performance or health. It's a long-term view and a long-term plan for trying to get these guys through the season.”
The Tigers don't want to overextend pitchers this season. Hinch said prize rookie righthander Casey Mize can expect a similar move at some point this season and the club will also turn to six-man rotation at points in the season.
“The long view of these guys, there's going to be a couple instances during the season where we're going to back off of our starters and give them shorter stints in kind of a modified tandem,” Hinch said. “We'll go to a full six-man rotation at some point this season. It's a plan, not a reaction.”
RED WINGS STRETCH
The countdown was on Monday for the Detroit Red Wings.
Following Saturday's 4-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, the sixth time Detroit has been shut out this season, the Red Wings had just 10 games remaining in the Nhl-shortened season starting with Monday's first of four consecutive games against Dallas.
Last in the Central Division and 11 points behind Nashville for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Central Division going into Monday's game, the Red Wings will likely miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Still, head coach Jeff Blashill said there's plenty at stake down the stretch.
“Everybody's got stuff on the line,” Blashill said before Monday's game. “Guys that have contracts up, they're playing for their livelihood and, as a team, we want to grow as a group. I think there's a whole bunch of stuff on the line for a lot of our guys and the (last 10) games should be extremely competitive.”
PISTONS STRUGGLING
The Detroit Pistons were struggling heading into Monday's match against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The club has the worst record in the Eastern Conference and Saturday's 121-100 loss to the Washington Wizards was Detroit's fourth in its last five games.
Added to that, the Pistons had just 10 players available against the Cavaliers. Guard Wayne Ellington along with power forward Mason Plumlee were given Monday's game off to rest.
Guards Cory Joseph (bronchitis), guard Dennis Smith Jr. (knee), Rodney Mcgruder (elbow) and Sekou Doumboya (concussion protocol) were unavailable as well as small forward and leading scorer Jerami Grant (quadriceps).
In Saturday's loss to Washington, rookie Isaiah Stewart had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Pistons. Frank Jackson and Josh Jackson each finished with 17 points while Grant added 14 points.