Tarik Skubal, the Detroit Tigers' left-handed ace who had joined the United States roster for the World Baseball Classic (WBC), is heading back to his MLB club.
Local outlets including ESPN, citing U.S. manager Mark DeRosa, reported on the 10th (Korean time) that Skubal will return to his club.
Skubal had originally planned to make a single start — the first-round game against Great Britain — before returning to Detroit. That plan drew criticism, with some saying the back-to-back Cy Young winner wasn't fully committed to Team USA. After the Great Britain game, Skubal said he wanted to stay and pitch more.
After discussions with his club, his agent and teammates from both Detroit and Team USA, he decided to return to his club.
In an interview with local media, Skubal said, "My spring-training appearance schedule was set back in January. The original plan was to return to my club. But being here changed how I felt and what I thought, and I tried to make it work, but I couldn't. I'm disappointed, but it's okay."
He added that he won't pitch again for Team USA but plans to spend as much time as possible with the national team before returning to Detroit.
Last season he made 31 starts, threw 195 1/3 innings, went 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA, and earned his second straight American League Cy Young Award. This season is his final one before reaching free agency.
He said that if he weren't headed to free agency after this season, he probably would have made a different decision.
DeRosa said he understood Skubal's choice. "I know what's at stake for him. I'm glad he chose to pitch for the team — that will mean a lot to our players. We know where his heart is. He wouldn't have left under different circumstances," DeRosa said.
Skubal acknowledged, "I completely misjudged how I would feel. I thought I understood my emotions well, but this time I misread them," reflecting on how pitching for Team USA affected him.
He added, "I love America. I love our country, and I love everything about this tournament," and pledged that if given another chance to play for the national team, he'd be first to volunteer.
[Phoenix (U.S.) = Kim Jae-ho, MK Sports correspondent]
