Tigers announce their 2024 Opening Day starter [Video]

Skubal was the clear-cut choice. The 27-year-old missed 11 months after undergoing flexor tendon surgery in 2022 but has been dominant since his return on July 4, 2023.

Skubal went 7-3 with a 2.80 ERA over 15 starts (80 1/3 innings) last year. In the final month of the season, he made five starts, going 4-0 with a 0.90 ERA in 30 innings. He struck out 43 and walked four. Opponents hit just .135 against him.

Skubal became the first Tiger to win the pitcher-of-the-month honors since Justin Verlander did so in July of 2016 and the first left-hander to win the honor since Willie Hernandez did so in July of his Cy Young campaign in 1984.

Rodriguez is the fifth starter other than Verlander to pitch on Opening Day since 2008. The others are Rodriguez (2022-2023), Matthew Boyd (2020-21), Jordan Zimmermann (2018-2019) and David Price (2015).

The Tigers’ home opener at Comerica Park isn’t until April 5, the seventh game of the season, so it’s difficult to …