The Detroit Tigers technically remain in the AL Central race despite a mediocre season thus far. Talented pitcher Tarik Skubal made his long-awaited return Monday, submitting an excellent performance against the Oakland Athletics.

The Tigers' starter Skubal went four innings, striking out six and giving up zero earned runs on the day. Detroit still lost by a final score of 1-0, dropping a key game to the hapless 24-63 A's.

For Tigers fans accustomed to suffering since the appointment of former General Manager Al Avila, Monday's results came as no surprise. Even with the return of Skubal, Detroit set an unenviable record. It was another setback that came on the heels of the announced return of ace Eduardo Rodriguez.

Skubal had an ERA of 3.52 last season with 117 strikeouts in 117.2 innings for the Tigers' pitching staff. Injuries postponed the Hayward, California native's first start to Monday's game against the Athletics.

The Tigers' ace Rodriguez is expected to start Wednesday's game in what Manager A.J. Hinch hopes will be a better performance for his team. Rodriguez has an ERA of 2.13 in 67.2 innings with 50 strikeouts and 16 walks for the Tigers so far in 2023.

Detroit also received bad news on pitcher Tyler Alexander Monday. Alexander was placed on the 60-day injured list, prompting Hinch to speak his peace on the situation.

“He told us about it after his last outing, his last pitch,” manager AJ Hinch said. “He said he felt something in his shoulder or lat. We were all kind of down for him. He’s going to miss significant time. It’s really unfortunate. He was throwing the best he’s thrown all year.”

The Tigers' pitching staff has done its part this year, but hitting remains a concern. Detroit ranks 28th among all MLB teams on offense, a problem that shows few if any signs of being fixed this season.

Players mentioned as potential trade candidates include catcher Jake Rogers along with pitchers Jose Cisnero and Alex Lange.