Tarik Skubal confirmed he will start only one game in the Classic before returning to the Detroit Tigers to prepare for the new season.

Today looked like a standard spring training tune-up for Tarik Skubal. The Tigers' top starting pitcher threw two scoreless innings with four strikeouts against the Minnesota Twins, but the team fell 0-3. After the game, he said in an interview that aside from one start for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, this would be his usual routine during spring training.

Skubal is scheduled to pitch again for the Tigers in a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays next Monday, then head to Houston’s Minute Maid Park to start a group stage game for Team USA. Regardless of how far the U.S. team advances, he will return to Lakeland to finish the rest of his spring training starts with the Tigers.

“I’m only starting one game,” Skubal said. “It wasn’t announced earlier because I wanted to keep the focus on the Classic. But I am definitely pitching just one game, then staying to watch some games. I haven’t decided which ones yet. If they make it to the final, I’d try to be there in person to support and be with my teammates. Overall, I’ll start one game, then come back and keep preparing.”

Starting only one game was one of the conditions for him joining the national team.

“It’s a win-win situation. That’s what I told them when I talked to those guys,” Skubal said. “Obviously, there’s some risk involved, but I want to balance both — pitching for Team USA and understanding I need to stay here and prepare for the new season with my teammates. I think this is the best compromise, and I appreciate them accepting this arrangement.”

Skubal is expected to be the Tigers’ Opening Day starter for the third consecutive year, with the team opening on March 26 against the San Diego Padres on the road. He and the Tigers have planned his spring training schedule around this goal, pitching every five to six days.

“My intention for participating in the Classic is to maintain a normal spring training workload, start one game for Team USA, then return and continue regular preparation for Opening Day,” Skubal said. “I don’t expect anything to change. I haven’t ramped up intensity early. I don’t want any rumors about that. My plan is to pitch one game for Team USA, come back to Lakeland, and get ready for Opening Day.”

Even though he will pitch only one game, Skubal is looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere of the Classic.

“I’ve heard the atmosphere is very close to playoff intensity,” Skubal said. “It’ll definitely be fun to be in the same clubhouse with those guys. If you saw the U.S. hockey team play Canada, you should have seen our clubhouse. I hope it’s media day for you then because when Team USA scored, the whole place erupted. I hope we get moments like that in Miami too, celebrating together would be special. I know it’s not a gold medal, but it’s still the World Baseball Classic.”

Skubal’s conditioning is on track, and he has been ahead of hitters since spring training began. He was one of the first pitchers to face live batting practice, going against fellow Classic participants Gleyber Torres (Venezuela), Jahmai Jones (Korea), and Hao-Yu Lee (Chinese Taipei) before full team workouts started, and almost no one made solid contact off him.

Power-hitting rookie Josue Briceño (Tigers’ No. 3 prospect) impressed by hitting Skubal’s slider from the left side during subsequent live batting practice, but Skubal quickly regained control. In today’s game, two of the Twins’ first three hitters got hits and created early trouble, but Skubal struck out Ryan Jeffers and Matt Wallner consecutively to end the threat. In the second inning, after former Tiger Gio Urshela grounded out, Skubal struck out Emmanuel Rodriguez and Aaron Sabato in a row, finishing with a 98 mph fastball that Sabato swung through.

“I was pitching with runners on throughout the entire first inning, needing to throw quality pitches with men on first and second. The second inning started with pitcher fielding practice, then I completed the workload I needed,” Skubal said. “If I had to write a script for a spring training debut, it would probably look like this.”