Shocking Move: Tigers Manager AJ Hinch Stands by Decision to Pull Tarik Skubal Despite Loss to Royals

Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium saw a tense pitching duel between the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals. Tarik Skubal, Detroit’s left-handed ace, was dominant through seven shutout innings, throwing just 90 pitches with no signs of slowing down. But in a surprising move, manager A.J. Hinch chose to take him out of the game. The Tigers ended up falling 1-0 after reliever Beau Brieske gave up the game-winning RBI single to Vinnie Pasquantino.

Hinch’s decision drew immediate backlash, especially with Skubal appearing strong and the Tigers chasing a sweep. However, the manager defended the call, pointing to the bigger picture—Skubal’s long-term health and the need to preserve the rotation throughout the long season.

“It’s easier to just let a guy keep going until he can’t anymore,” Hinch said, via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. “But we need all of our pitchers. Just because the outcome didn’t go our way doesn’t mean the decision wasn’t made with purpose. It’s a marathon. You’ve got to make tough choices to get through it.”

Skubal was coming off a complete game shutout against the Guardians on May 25, the longest outing of his career. That recent workload likely influenced Hinch’s choice, along with a growing list of injuries to Tigers starters.

In hindsight, the decision may have cost Detroit a win, but Hinch emphasized the importance of maintaining pitcher health—especially this early in the season. With three starters already hitting the injured list and uncertainty surrounding Alex Cobb’s status, Hinch is clearly playing the long game.