Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal looked comfortable sitting in the first-base dugout in the stadium he called home for his first seven MLB seasons – minus a few inconveniences that come from playing for the visiting team.
"I've never been on this side of the clubhouse. So when I first got here, I'm like, 'which way is the field?'" he said. "It's much farther down there. There's a lot more steps going on, but I guess it's good for your health."
The setting was familiar, but the threads were not. Skubal wore his usual headband and sleeveless hoodie, but both were dipped in Dodger blue instead of stamped with the Olde English D. The night before, he pitched six brilliant innings in the Dodgers' 2-1 win over the Detroit Tigers, returning to
Comerica Park less than a month after the Tigers traded him to Los Angeles at the deadline for three prospects.
Skubal didn't have a say in where he went. But based on his interaction with the media before Detroit's game with the Dodgers on Saturday, Aug. 29, he looks to have landed in a situation he really likes.
"[The Dodgers] have won the last two World Series for a reason. It's not a mistake," he said. "You watch [first baseman Freddie Freeman's] ground ball routine, he does the same thing every single day. I think those routines matter, and they translate to the field, stuff they do in the cage, the way pitchers prepare ... no little thing is overlooked, and I think that's what makes good teams really good."
Skubal looked much like himself on Friday, to the mixed emotions of the sold-out crowd that came to see him one last time in 2026. The lefty is aware that him landing on the Dodgers has created strong feelings about competitive balance in MLB, and though he didn't directly answer a question about his place in that narrative, he acknowledged how much those feelings have created intense road atmospheres.
"Both sides benefit from it, just having the energy in the ballpark. That's what fans do," he said. "So I think [the fans] are entitled to whatever opinion they want to have. I appreciate it, because they make these games a ton of fun to play in, no matter where we are."
Skubal may have joined a juggernaut in Los Angeles, but he didn't forget the relationships he made in a more humble spot in Detroit.
"I sent over some stuff this morning, including some donuts, and there was some stuff that I had coming in for a couple of the guys that play golf," he said. "Walking on the field and saying hi to these guys, just getting to see coaches, teammates, support staff and all in between. All those people go out of their way to help me on and off the field. So just kind of show some appreciation when I go say hi to them."
And maybe most important, for clubhouse culture, at least – Skubal finally admitted to taking the espresso machine he bought and shared with his teammates for years.
"I'll wear it," he said, adding that the machine now lives at his house. "I did buy it, but I guess I'll wear it."
Riley Greene injury update
Tigers left fielder Riley Greene is one step closer to returning from his hamstring injury.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said before Saturday's game that Greene will play in a rehab game leading off as a designated hitter for Triple-A Toledo tonight in St. Paul, Minnesota. Greene hasn't played since an Aug. 11 win over the Cleveland Guardians, exiting that game with an injured right hamstring. The Tigers placed him on the 10-day IL the next day, and the Tigers have gone 3-12 in his absence.
Greene has been one of the best hitters in Detroit's lineup this season, putting up an .816 OPS over 492 plate appearances. The Tigers could use both his bat and his glove during this stretch, as Detroit's playoff odds have shrunk to low single-digits as the final month of the regular season approaches.
"The hope is that [Greene] is going to get on the field tomorrow in the outfield, and then we'll reassess," Hinch said.
The Tigers travel to play the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis for a three-game series starting on Monday, Aug. 31, which would line up well for a potential Greene return. But Hinch isn't making any promises.
"In a perfect world that aligns well, but we can't make any assumptions yet," he said.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tarik Skubal took espresso machine from Tigers locker room after trade
