The Detroit Tigers will not be starting 2024 AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Seattle Mariners.
Detroit announced that it will be giving the ball to 24-year-old right-handed reliever Troy Melton in a bullpen game for the series opener in Seattle. The rookie went 3-2 in 16 games in 2025, boasting a 2.76 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP with 36 strikeouts across 45.2 innings.
Melton pitched in Detroit’s 6-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 of the AL wildcard round on Wednesday. He allowed four earned runs, three hits, and a walk in 0.1 innings in relief of Casey Mize.
His longest outing of the 2025 campaign came on July 28 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He went seven innings, striking out five batters, walking none, and allowing five hits. The Tigers won this contest by a score of 5-1, earning Melton his first MLB win.
The 2022 fourth-round Tigers pick will be taking the mound against Mariners star George Kirby, as Seattle previously announced.
Skubal will be getting one extra day of rest and will start Game 2 against Luis Castillo.
He started the season-opener in the AL Wildcard series against the Guardians. Skubal went 7.2 innings while striking out 14 batters and allowing just three hits, three walks, and one earned run.
Skubal is likely to be a favorite for the AL Cy Young Award once again after going 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP with 241 strikeouts in 195.1 innings pitched in 2025.
The 28-year-old ace is 2-1 in four starts in his postseason career. He has a 2.03 ERA with a 0.79 WHIP with 34 strikeouts across 26.2 innings of playoff baseball in his career.
Detroit is looking to advance past the ALDS for the first time since 2013, when it lost 4-2 in the ALCS to the eventual World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. The Tigers lost to the San Francisco Giants in the World Series the previous season.
