This is a big season for Tarik Skubal, who is set to enter unrestricted free agency at the end of the year and is widely viewed as one of the top pitchers on the market.
He was scheduled to start Monday’s series opener at home against the Boston Red Sox before AJ Hinch announced he had been scratched, later revealing concerning injury news.
Skubal will undergo arthroscopic elbow surgery to remove “loose bodies,” a procedure that typically comes with a recovery timeline of two to three months, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
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For now, there is no official timetable for his return, but if that timeline holds, a comeback likely wouldn’t come until sometime in August.
Before the injury, Skubal had been pitching at a high level, recording four straight outings of six or more innings and posting a 2.70 ERA across 43.1 innings entering Monday.
His absence puts added pressure on the rest of Detroit’s rotation as the Tigers sit at 18–17, tied for first in the AL Central with the Cleveland Guardians.
In the meantime, the Tigers will lean on arms like Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty, Keider Montero, and Casey Mize once he returns from the injured list. Brant Hurter could also see an expanded role after working in bulk relief behind Tyler Holton.
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