Reigning Cy Young champion Tarik Skubal will require a surgical procedure on his left elbow to remove loose bodies the team confirmed on Monday.
Manager A.J. Hinch told reporters that Skubal felt discomfort in his throwing arm over the weekend, prompting the team to send him for additional tests. When the results came back, the Tigers medical team and Skubal alike agreed that undergoing a procedure to clean up his elbow now would be the best course of action for the pitcher.
Hinch stopped short of providing any kind of definitive timeline for Skubal’s return, simply stating that it would be an “easy process and procedure.” Average recovery timelines for such a procedure fall in the 2-3 month range, meaning that it won’t be a season ender, but fans also shouldn’t expect the 29 year old back until after the All-Star break.
“Been dealing with some stuff, but I thought it was progressing and getting better,” Skubal told reporters Monday. “Yesterday, I had something that kind of was different than what I’ve been dealing with. I had some conversations with the training staff, A.J., trying to figure out what’s going on and wasn’t very comfortable pitching today.”
“This is something that I’ve been dealing with all season…It’s good to get an answer, honestly.”
Across 43.1IP, the star lefty has posted a 3-2 record with a 2.70 ERA, 0.946 WHIP and 45 strikeouts. He’s struck out 27.1% of batters faced, while walking only 3.6% of his opponents.
Unfortunately for Detroit, Skubal is just the latest in a growing list of injured pitchers the club has as they continue to battle the injury bug in the early goings of the season. Casey Mize, Justin Verlander, and Reese Olson are already on the IL, while star prospect Jackson Jobe remains sidelined as he recovers from Tommy John surgery last season.
In his absence, the team will rely on Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty, and Keider Montero to headline their suddenly depleted rotation. Drew Anderson figures to be a candidate to get a few starts in the near future, while Sawyer Gipson-Long could be a recall candidate from Triple-A as well.
Detroit is currently in a neck and neck battle with Cleveland for top spot in the AL Central division. Both teams enter Monday’s slate with identical 18-17 records on the year.
In a corresponding move, the Tigers recalled RHP Ty Madden, and are expected to deploy Tyler Holton as an “opener” for Monday night’s contest agains the Boston Red Sox. Skubal has been added to the 15-day IL in a procedural move.
Photo: Jeffrey Hyde. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.