Hinch returns to the playoffs Tuesday with the Detroit Tigers in their first postseason appearance in a decade when they face the AL West champion Astros in Game 1 of a best-of-three Wild Card Series. Detroit ace Tarik Skubal (18-4, 2.39 ERA) opposes fellow left-hander Framber Valdez (15-7, 2.91) in the opener.

A.J. Hinch led Houston to the 2017 World Series title but was later suspended for a year by MLB and fired for his role in Houston’s sign-stealing scandal. He returns to the playoffs with a Detroit

A.J. Hinch was back in the October routine that had become the norm for him in Houston. But this time, he's facing the Astros leading the upstart Tigers.