Tigers ace Tarik Skubal visited hospital to check on injured David Fry

Chris McCosky, The Detroit News on Sep 24, 2025

Published in Baseball

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CLEVELAND — Here’s a little window into the type of human being Tarik Skubal is.

He endured, for many reasons, one of his worst nights of the season Tuesday. Not only did he give up a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning in the Tigers’ 5-2 loss — without a ball leaving the infield — he was visibly shaken when one of his 99-mph sinkers darted in and hit Guardians designated hitter David Fry in the face.

Skubal immediately threw his glove and hat to the ground and looked on intensely as Fry was carted off the field and sent immediately to nearby Lutheran Medical Center.

Still, after the game, Skubal found a way to get to the hospital — he hitched a ride with Guardians manager Stephen Vogt — to check in on Fry.

“I was able to get in and see him and apologize,” Skubal said. “Obviously, it was nothing intentional but I still apologized about the situation. One of those freak baseball plays.

“I’m really glad he’s doing relatively all right.”

Skubal said Fry texted him back Wednesday.

“He thanked me for coming and said it meant a lot to him,” Skubal said. “But that’s not why I went. I wasn’t there for that. I just wanted to make sure he was all right. This is a game but we’re all human.

“Stuff like that, that’s real-life stuff. Not baseball-game stuff.”

The Guardians said Fry suffered a broken nose and facial fractures. Vogt said the 99-mph pitch hit Fry directly on the left side of his face.

It initially appeared that Fry, who squared to bunt, fouled the pitch directly into his face. It was scored a foul ball.

"I didn't look at the replay," Skubal said. "I don't ever want to look at a replay of that."

Skubal wanted to text Fry immediately after the game, but he assumed, correctly, that he was taken directly to the hospital. He had to find another way to get to him.

“I got in touch with (Vogt) and he took me to the hospital last night,” Skubal said. “I have a ton of respect for him, for the way they play baseball and for the team they are.”

Skubal got to know Fry and a lot of Guardians players at the All-Star Game in Texas.

“You could tell they’re a tight-knit family, kind of like we are,” he said. “They’re younger and they enjoy having fun and they enjoy the game. From what I heard across the way, (Fry) is kind of a leader in that clubhouse.”

Tigers manager AJ Hinch also checked in on Fry, through texts with Vogt. He wasn’t aware Skubal was planning to go to the hospital, but it did not surprise him.

“Players take care of players and player care about players,” Hinch said. “And they should. I was texting with Vogt last night and it sounds like the good news is they have everything under control and he’s doing better and better.

“Tarik cares about people first. The competition is super important but it does stop in a moment like that when a guy is hurt like that.”