Tarik Skubal, the best pitcher in baseball by most measures, is headed for surgery. Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch confirmed Monday that Skubal will undergo an operation to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, with no timetable yet set for his return.
The 29-year-old had shown signs of discomfort during his previous start against the Atlanta Braves. He rubbed his left arm after a 2-2 pitch to Matt Olson, prompting a visit from Hinch and the training staff. Skubal threw one warmup pitch, told them he was fine, then struck out the side to finish the outing. He allowed five hits, struck out seven and issued no walks that night.
Less than a week later, something changed. Skubal spoke to reporters Monday before the Tigers faced the Boston Red Sox, the game he had been scheduled to start.
"If you go watch my outings, there's been some abnormal arm-shake stuff," he said. "I've been dealing with some stuff, but I thought it was progressing and getting better. Yesterday, I had something that was different than what I had been dealing with, which led to having some conversations with the training staff and A.J., trying to figure out what's going on. So that ultimately led to getting the scan and seeing what's going on, then making a decision after that to proceed and get surgery as soon as possible, so that way I can be back as soon as possible."
Through 43 and a third innings this season, Skubal was 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP and 45 strikeouts against just six walks. Over the last four seasons combined, he has gone 41-15 with a 2.41 ERA and 616 strikeouts in 511 innings. He became the first American League pitcher in decades to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards.
The procedure carries significant implications beyond the 2026 season. Skubal is set to hit free agency this offseason and was widely expected to command one of the largest contracts ever given to a starting pitcher. Historically, surgery to remove loose bodies has cost pitchers roughly two to three months of action, according to the Baseball Prospectus recovery dashboard. If Skubal falls within that range, he could return before the end of the regular season.
The injury lands at a precarious moment for Detroit. The Tigers are 18-17 and tied for first place in the AL Central, having reached the playoffs in back-to-back seasons without advancing to the American League Championship Series since 2013. The rotation behind Skubal is thin. Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty and Keider Montero have combined for 20 starts this season. Casey Mize landed on the injured list last week with a mild right adductor strain, though he may return within a few weeks.
The surgery had not yet been scheduled as of Monday afternoon.
