Why injuries aren’t keeping Tigers apart

This story was excerpted from Jason Beck’s Tigers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The weather was cloudy, chilly and damp as Tarik Skubal walked out to the Tigers bullpen at Comerica Park on Saturday morning for his first pitches off a mound since undergoing flexor tendon surgery last August. It was a far cry from the warm weather at the Tigers’ Spring Training complex in Lakeland, Fla., but Skubal wouldn’t trade spots. He didn’t have the Florida sunshine, but he had his Tigers teammates watching and cheering him on.

A day later, as Spencer Turnbull steamed about a rough start and a difficult first month back from Tommy John surgery, Skubal was there to talk with him about his own experiences, having gone through the procedure six years ago while in college.

“It’s good to be in the clubhouse with the guys and see what they’re going through and be more involved,” Skubal said recently. “That’s what I really like.”

This is the interaction the Tigers hoped to foster when they had Skubal and Casey Mize continue their rehab in Detroit rather than stay in Lakeland when the team broke camp. It was a change of course from years of organizational thought; the Tigers had rehab in mind when they made a massive weight room and training facility part of their Spring Training complex renovation six years ago. But there can still be a feeling of isolation when a player is in Lakeland for an extended rehab. They built world-class facilities, but they couldn’t build connections and chemistry.

“They’re a huge part of us,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Both of them are strong contributors in the clubhouse, their demeanor, their influence, their impact, their personalities. The mix that we have in the clubhouse right now is exceptionally good, and they’re a big part of that. Even though they’re not participating on the field, they’re still a very big part of our present and our future.”

So, the Tigers, in addition to upgrading their training and weight rooms as part of Comerica Park’s clubhouse renovation, moved physical therapist Duncan Evans to their Detroit staff along with performance coach Shane Wallen and strength/conditioning coach Nelson Perez with an eye toward rehab work. Having Robin Lund, a former kinesiology professor, as a pitching coach has provided an extra set of eyes as pitchers ramp up.

“I’ve been able to make some tweaks to my mechanics,” Skubal said. “This throwing program, I’ve been able to hammer out some kinks that are going to take a little bit of stress off the arm and help use my body the right way. That’s the positive for me that I’m going to take out of this.”

The decision to rehab in Detroit hasn’t applied to everyone. While Matt Manning has rehabbed his fractured foot in Detroit, Beau Brieske rehabbed in Lakeland while trying to come back from an ulnar nerve issue, mainly because he was ready to face hitters. Likewise, when Skubal and Mize advance in their programs, they’ll eventually head out on rehab assignments. But for now, they’re just as much of a part of the team as active players.