West Michigan is losing its collective mind. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, a two-time Cy Young winner, is dropping down to the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps for a Sunday rehab start at LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow back in early May. He hasn’t thrown a real pitch since April 29. Yet, here we are. His recovery has been ridiculously fast, defying every medical timeline by weeks, if not months. This single outing might be his only tune-up before he rejoins the big-league rotation.
Good luck getting in. The game against the Dayton Dragons is already sold out. Ironically, the sellout happened before the Tigers even announced Skubal’s start on Friday. Naturally, the secondary market exploded immediately. Scalpers smelled blood. A few pairs popped up on StubHub for hundreds of dollars. If you want to sit directly behind home plate in the front row, expect to cough up over $2,000 per seat. For a High-A game. Let that sink in. LMCU Ballpark holds over 10,000 people, and every single seat will be packed.
The circus starts early. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m., but local construction might push that back a bit. The Whitecaps are scrambling to handle the media circus and the traffic. Parking lots open at 10 a.m. That is four hours early. Gates open at 11:45 a.m. for season-ticket holders, and noon for everyone else. Kids can still play catch on the field and get autographs from other players. Do not expect Skubal to sign, though. He will be locked in, warming up his multi-million-dollar arm.
This isn’t his first rodeo in Comstock Park. Skubal made two rehab starts here in 2023. Go back further, and he was just another kid trying to make it, pitching three games for West Michigan in 2018 after the Tigers drafted the Seattle University lefty in the ninth round. Now, he is the savior. Sunday is just the next step.
