How late is too late to make a push?

The answer for a team like the Tigers might be interesting. Less than a week ago, Detroit was 14 games below .500. It seemed like the team that was a single extra inning run away from the ALCS in 2025 was going to be a seller at the deadline. Now? I’m not so sure. The Tigers have won four of their past five and are only five games back of the final Wild Card spot in an underwhelming American League. Remember, this is the team that blew a 15-game division lead last year. They know wild stuff can happen.

Can Tarik Skubal make it five wins in six contests on Wednesday? Let’s preview this 6:40 p.m. ET tilt and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.

Yankees vs. Tigers prediction, preview

This will be Tarik Skubal’s third start since his speedy return off the IL, and while the Tigers have to be thankful that the reigning Cy Young Award winner is back in action, he’s looked mortal in his prior two outings. To wit, Skubal’s allowed 12 hits and five earned runs over 10.1 innings of work, giving up three barrels and three home runs in the process. That said, the stuff looks good, and the left-hander threw 94 pitches against the White Sox last Friday. He’s healthy and built up, so there should be no concerns for Detroit’s front office — or for any front office looking to acquire him in the near future. For the season as a whole, the 29-year-old sports a 3.02 ERA and a 2.75 FIP across 53.2 innings.

Opposing Skubal on Wednesday will be another hard-throwing LHP. Just like Skubal, Ryan Weathers’ most recent outing was against the White Sox, and the former seventh-overall pick was able to right the ship with 6.1 innings of one-run ball. It was a much needed result from the southpaw, as Weathers had struggled to a 6.44 ERA and 6.17 FIP across his five previous outings. Weathers is sort of pitching for his rotation spot at this point, too. Gerrit Cole is back. Max Fried (elbow) and Clarke Schmidt (elbow) are likely about a month away from returning. Weathers really hasn’t pitched out of the bullpen since his rookie season with the Padres in 2021, yet it makes sense that his stuff would translate best to being a potential late-inning weapon. Still, no starting pitcher wants to be a reliever. He’s going to do all he can to keep his current role.

The Tigers won’t make it easy for Weathers, though. The club has been tearing the cover off the ball in June to the tune of a league-high .232 ISO and an equally appealing 121 wRC+. In particular, Dillon Dingler has been a man possessed, hitting .385 with seven long balls in the month. Gleyber Torres has also been on fire, though he’s unavailable for this series against his former squad, as he’s currently on the IL with an oblique issue. However, Torres had been oddly ineffective against southpaws in 2026, hitting just .121 (4-for-33) within the split.

Yankees vs. Tigers pick, best bet

Best Bet: Tigers ML (-132)

Pretty straightforward concept here. We’re going to back the American League’s best pitcher, at home, who is getting run support from arguably the hottest lineup in the sport. Seems like a decent number when you put it all together, right?

Strong Lean: Dillon Dingler 2+ Total Bases (+127)

Dingler draws an opposite-hand matchup against a struggling southpaw. In 84 plate appearances in June, the backstop is slashing .385/.405/.756 with a 213 wRC+. We love to see a 2.4% walk rate, too. You don’t get two total bases with free passes. You have to swing the bat.