DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers are flipping the order of their starting rotation for the final series before the All-Star break.
Ace left-hander Tarik Skubal, who would have normally pitched on Saturday, will now start Friday’s series opener against the Seattle Mariners at 7:10 p.m. at Comerica Park.
Skubal (10-2, 2.02 ERA) will still be pitching on a full four days’ rest thanks to Thursday’s off-day.
Right-hander Casey Mize (9-2, 2.63 ERA) will now pitch Saturday at 1:10 p.m., while right-hander Jack Flaherty (5-9, 4.70 ERA) will close out the series Sunday at 1:40 p.m. Mize will be working on six days’ rest, while Flaherty remains on regular rest.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said there were several reasons for swapping Skubal and Mize, but one was glaringly obvious: Pitching Skubal on Friday removes any obstacles to him starting the All-Star Game on Tuesday in Atlanta.
American League manager Aaron Boone will make that decision, which has not yet been announced.
There were other considerations as well. Mize threw a season-high 102 pitches in his last start — seven shutout innings on July 5 in Cleveland — and the extra rest could prove beneficial.
The Tigers’ rotation heading into the break could also influence how they align their staff coming out of it. Detroit opens the second half with road series at Texas and Pittsburgh.
“You throw all that in, mix it up, and it spits out Tarik on Friday, Casey on Saturday,” said Tigers manager A.J. Hinch. “We have a lot that we weigh, and we’re always trying to do what’s best for the group.”
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