Skubal returns to Detroit to face Tigers after trade

Tarik Skubal will make an emotional return to Detroit on Friday night, starting for the Los Angeles Dodgers against his former team, the Tigers, at Comerica Park. The matchup marks the first time the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner will face the organization that drafted him, less than a month after a blockbuster trade sent him to the two-time defending World Series champions.

Skubal, 29, was traded by Detroit on August 1 in exchange for outfielder Zyhir Hope and pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith. The deal ended his six-and-a-half-year tenure with the Tigers, during which he became the face of the franchise and helped lead the team back to the postseason. His future with Detroit had been uncertain for much of the last two years as contract negotiations stalled, making the trade a widely anticipated move.

Despite the professional transition, Skubal has acknowledged the personal weight of the return. "It will be emotional there just because of the history," Skubal said Wednesday. "The whole process was emotional. I have a lot of respect for those guys over there. I'm just going to go play baseball." He added that he plans to focus on competing for his new club....