Tarik Skubal’s rehab start gives rising Reds prospect rare chance to prove he’s ready

Tarik Skubal is a two-time Cy Young Award-winner and is widely recognized as the best pitcher in Major League Baseball. Unfortunately, the Detroit Tigers ace has been on the injured list since May 4 after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow — the same surgery that sidelined Cincinnati Reds' starter Hunter Greene.

But unlike Greene, Skubal's recovery has been otherworldly. Detroit's ace is healing at a rapid pace, and is set for a rehab assignment this Sunday for the Tigers' High-A affiliate which located just outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Interesting enough, the West Michigan Whitecaps play host to the Dayton Dragons this weekend. Of course the Dragons are the Reds' High-A affiliate, and the organization's top prospect Alfredo Duno just so happens to be on Dayton's roster. This could be quite the opportunity for the Reds' young catcher to prove that he's ready for the next step.

Reds prospect Alfredo Duno will face Tigers ace Tarik Skubal

By now, almost every Reds fan has probably heard Duno's name. The oversized backstop has been crushing home runs for the better part of two years, and is ranked among the top-50 prospects in baseball by nearly every talent evaluator.

But there's no better proving ground for Duno than going up against the very best in the game. Though Skubal will surely be shaking off the rust during Sunday's rehab outing, he's still likely to possess some elite-level stuff, which should give the Reds' youngster a preview of coming attractions.

Duno got off to a bit of a slow start with the Dragons this season. Through the month of April, he was hitting just .213/.362/.347 with only two home runs and a 91 wRC+. But he's since put those early-season struggles in the rearview mirror, and since May 1 he's hitting a robust .323/.447/.710 with 10 round trippers and a 179 wRC+.

Duno is well regarded as one of the best sluggers in the minor leagues, and regardless of what he does against Skubal on Sunday, he should be promoted to Double-A without any hesitation. While developing catchers always takes more time than other positions, bumping him up a notch in competition should do nothing but help his overall evolution.

Duno's in the mold of Elly De La Cruz in that's he's an elite-level talent. While there's no reason to believe he'll make his way to the big leagues this season (and probably not until 2028), he'll get his chance on Sunday to see what a true Major League ace looks like. Reds fans are hopeful that Duno passes the test.

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