Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal is headed back to familiar territory.

Skubal will face off against his former team, the Detroit Tigers, on Friday in the opener of a three-game series.

It's been less than a month since the Tigers sent Skubal to Los Angeles, and the emotions will be all over the place for both sides. 

Tigers infielder Cole Keith spoke about the upcoming reunion and described what the banter between the two will be like. 

“I’m sure he’ll be chirping, for sure,” Keith said to M Live. “I’m sure he’ll be laughing and doing whatever, but hopefully we put five or six [runs] up on him and he won’t be laughing then.”

Skubal and Keith spent seven seasons together in Detroit, alongside Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson.

Torkelson told the media that he's just as eager to beat Skubal and the Dodgers as they are to beat the Tigers.

“I obviously love him, we’re great friends,” Torkelson said. “But in between the lines, we’re trying to beat each other.”

Skubal's seven seasons in Detroit were nothing short of spectacular, especially his final two full ones, when he won the Cy Young Awards in the American League. 

The Tigers drafted Skubal in the ninth round with the 255th overall selection of the 2018 MLB Draft. A little over two years later, Skubal made his MLB debut and earned his first win in late August 2020. 

From the 2021 season on, Skubal was a constant presence in the Tigers' rotation with AJ Hinch at the helm. Hinch was named the new Tigers manager in March 2021. 

Hinch announced Skubal made the Opening Day roster out of spring training and would be in the Tigers' starting rotation. The 52-year-old manager was alongside Skubal virtually his entire career. 

With Friday's contest approaching, Hinch said he had hoped the matchup with Skubal wouldn't come any sooner than it is. 

“When he got traded, I was sort of rooting for this to be pushed into the future and not have to do it a couple weeks later,” Hinch said. “But, that’s the challenge in front of us and we can have a ton of respect for him and his time here, but also try to make it a bad Friday for him.”

Will the Dodgers Keep Tarik Skubal Long-Term?

Skubal made a name for himself in seven unforgettable seasons in Detroit.

With free agency looming for the two-time All-Star, his future in the league is unclear. The Dodgers will do all they can to retain Skubal; however, where he will go and what he will do this winter remains a mystery.

While that is the case, the Dodgers are in a great position to give Skubal the contract he desires.

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