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Manager A.J. Hinch said Thursday that Skubal is "unlikely" to pitch in Sunday's regular-season finale versus the White Sox if the Tigers have already clinched a wild-card spot but still have seeding at stake, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
The Tigers would still have the American League Cy Young frontrunner take the hill Sunday if the team has not yet locked up a playoff berth by then. However, with the Tigers' magic number down to three, any combination of Detroit wins or Minnesota losses over the next three days would punch the Tigers' ticket to the postseason prior to Sunday. Hinch seemingly prefers not to have Skubal take the hill if the four through six seeds in the American League postseason remain unsettled heading into Sunday, instead preferring to save his ace for Game 1 of the wild-card round, which begins Tuesday.
