Dodgers acquire pitcher Tarik Skubal from Tigers in deadline trade

Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to acquire right-hander Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers, according to league sources. The deal, pending league approval, will send three Detroit prospects—right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith, and outfielder Zyhir Hope—to the Tigers.

Skubal, 29, is a former ninth-round pick who has developed a reputation for a high-velocity fastball that can reach the upper 90s and a changeup that generated a 48.6 percent whiff rate in 2025. He also throws a sinker, slider and curveball.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said, "There just aren’t that many star-level players in the game. Any time one is available, we’re always going to participate in those conversations."

The acquisition adds to a rotation that already includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, all of whom are expected to be healthy for the postseason. Skubal is under contract for the 2026 season and will become a free agent afterward.

Detroit, which entered the trade with a 52-58 record, will receive a major-league-ready arm in Ryan, who could fill Skubal’s spot in the rotation, as well as two 21-year-old prospects in Hope and Smith. The Tigers have struggled with injuries and underperformance this season, prompting the move.

Skubal’s recent season included a $32 million arbitration award, a brief stint in the World Baseball Classic, and a recovery from a novel nanoneedle procedure on his left elbow that accelerated his return to play. He previously underwent Tommy John surgery in college and a flexor tendon repair in 2022.