Friday, June 12
Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today’s edition is brought to you by Brian Murphy.
Tarik Skubal is back, ahead of most projected recovery timetables. And not a moment too soon for the Tigers.
Pitchers who undergo elbow surgeries similar to the one performed on Skubal on May 6typically need two to three months to recover. When the Tigers ace steps atop the mound to face Cleveland at Progressive Field on Saturday afternoon, he will be just 38 days post-op. Viva la “Skubal Scope”!
This is a remarkable development for arguably the best pitcher in the sport, and how he performs going forward will have ripple effects for both his team and any suitors ahead of the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.
Here are three pressing questions that will hover over Skubal both tomorrow and in the weeks ahead:
Will he look like himself?
Skubal’s one rehab start provided plenty of optimism: five scoreless innings on 54 pitches, two hits allowed, no walks and six strikeouts while reportedly popping 99 mph on the radar gun. Of course, shutting down High-A hitters isn’t the same as dominating Major Leaguers, so the question will remain unanswered until we see exactly what he has for the Guardians.
Can he help the Tigers make a run?
Detroit fell into an abyss as soon as Skubal hit the injured list on May 4. From that point, the club went 4-21 to finish out the month, dropping from a first-place tie into the AL Central cellar. The main issue had little to do with Skubal’s absence; the Tigers’ offense averaged 2.6 runs per game during that stretch.
Detroit, however, is slowly climbing back into contention. It has won seven of its first nine games this month and is averaging 6.9 runs per. Despite a 29-40 record, the Tigers are just 5 1/2 games back of a playoff spot in the wide-open American League.
Just a couple more solid weeks could turn the Tigers from prospective sellers into buyers (or at least cause them to stand pat and ride out the rest of the season with their two-time Cy Young Award winner). Skubal’s presence will obviously help the cause, but whether the bats stay hot will have just as much of an impact on the team’s postseason chances.
If not, will the Tigers make a Skubal swap instead?
There must be a growing sense of optimism around the Tigers as they prepare to welcome Skubal back into the fold.
But there is a very real possibility that this just doesn’t work out. If Detroit slumps over the next six weeks, a trade involving Skubal seems likely. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman opined last week that there was a 90% chance that the left-hander will be on a new team by the Deadline.
That also hinges on the answer to our first question. If Detroit gets stuck in neutral but Skubal proves that he is back to normal, the chances of a trade would seemingly increase, especially since the pending free-agent and the team have been far apart in contract extension discussions, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
HISTORICALLY HIGH OCTANE
For the large majority of baseball history, measuring pitch velocity has been an inexact science.
In 1917, Walter Johnson’s fastball was clocked with military technology used to measure the speed of artillery shells.
Bob Feller’s fastball was measured against the speed of a passing police motorcycle in 1939.
Nolan Ryan at least had rudimentary radar guns to document the velo on his legendary heater.
If you want to say that any of those guys threw the hardest pitches in baseball history, feel free. Just understand that there’s absolutely no way to prove that.
Thanks to advancements in tech, what we can prove, unequivocally, is that the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski is the hardest-throwing pitcher in MLB history.
It’s not close, really. And there’s data to back it up.
MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince lays out all of the evidence here. And Misiorowski will add to it tonight when he starts against the Phillies in Milwaukee (7:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV).
GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND
We’ve got an unlikely duel between first-place clubs, an AL East postseason rematch and a pitching matchup with Cy Young implications this weekend. Here are three games to watch, one for each day.
Today: Dodgers at White Sox (7:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
The Dodgers are in first place in the NL West. Sounds about right.
The White Sox are in first place in the AL Central. Wait, come again?
The only series this weekend between clubs at the top of their respective divisions isn’t one we could have possibly predicted two months ago. But isn’t that what makes baseball grand? The White Sox just took two games at home from the powerhouse Braves. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are waiting to see if Shohei Ohtani will be good to go after leaving Thursday’s game with left knee inflammation.
Tomorrow: Yankees at Blue Jays (3:07 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
About one hour before Skubal throws his first pitch in Cleveland, Cam Schlittler — the American League’s ERA leader (1.87) — will toe the rubber at Rogers Centre. This will be his and the Yankees’ first trip to Toronto since last season’s ALDS, which the Blue Jays won in four games. The Yankees are tied for first in the AL East (41-26) while Toronto (33-36) is nine games back in the division but only 1 1/2 behind in the Wild Card chase.
Sunday: Phillies at Brewers (2:10 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
A matchup between Cristopher Sánchez and Kyle Harrison would have looked more attractive if the latter hadn’t just given up eight earned runs in his most recent start against the A’s. Even still, Harrison has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the season and had given up only four earned runs in his previous 39 2/3 frames before that outing in Las Vegas. On the other side, Sánchez is not too far removed from an historic run of scoreless innings. Watching these two southpaws on contending clubs go pitch for pitch should be must-watch stuff on Sunday afternoon.
SEE THE STARS OF TOMORROW — TODAY!
Actually, right now!
There’s likely a Men’s College World Series game on as you read this. The MCWS began this afternoon in Omaha with West Virginia taking on Troy. It continues tonight with North Carolina facing Mississippi at 7 ET.
Twenty-three players in the eight-team field are among MLB.com’s Top 200 Draft Rankings. Here are a few names to keep your eye on:
Alabama SS Justin Lebron (No. 9)
No NBA jokes, please. Perhaps the most tooled-up player in the entire class, Lebron was viewed last year as a possibility for the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming Draft. That’s no longer the case, but with plus power, speed and defense, Lebron should still hear his name called early in the first round. In his most recent mock draft, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo has Lebron coming off the board at No. 11 to the Nationals.
Mississippi RHP Cade Townsend (No. 27)
Townsend registered 88 strikeouts in 64 innings this season and a 4:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Draft-eligible sophomore features a five-pitch mix, highlighted by a fastball that can touch 98 mph and a curveball, slider and cutter that each have a 60 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale.
Texas OF Aiden Robbins (No. 30)
The right-handed slugger has hit 24 home runs this season, including five through five games in the NCAA Tournament. He has a tendency to chase too much, but that aggressiveness has played a central role in his increased power.
Read MLB.com’s full team-by-team breakdown of the MCWS here >>
NEVER GIVE UP
Daniel Espino was primed to be a star for the Guardians. A 2019 first-round Draft pick and the No. 16 overall prospect in MLB as recently as 2023, the right-handed pitcher could once throw 103 mph.
He just couldn’t stay healthy. From 2022-25, Espino pitched a total of 19 Minor League innings. He underwent multiple shoulder surgeries and missed entire seasons. He also endured a profound loss away from the field.
But his story is one of perseverance, and that has paid off. The Guardians are promoting Espino from Triple-A Columbus ahead of tonight’s opener against the Tigers at Progressive Field, putting the 25-year-old in line to finally make his big league debut this weekend.
Read all about Espino’s journey to the Majors here >>
VOTE NOW FOR THE ALL-STAR GAME
Phase 1 of All-Star voting is open until Thursday, June 25, at noon ET.
Vote now to help send your favorite players to this year’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia. Fans can vote up to five times per day.
Fill out your 2026 All-Star Ballot here >>
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RJ Hamster 