Detroit Tigers ace and two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal underwent surgery last week to remove loose bodies from his elbow. The club did not reveal an expected timeline for his return, but the typical recovery schedule is about two to three months, depending on the procedure's extent.
However, Skubal's agent, Scott Boras, said over the weekend that the return could be even quicker. Skubal's surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, used an arthroscope, making it a far less invasive procedure.
"This is really almost like receiving a shot," Boras said on ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" podcast. "We think that's going to be a much shorter period of rehabilitation, and he'll be able to return to performance at just a much, much earlier stage."
The speculation from Boras suggests Skubal could return before the end of June. The less-invasive surgery would allow him to start throwing again sooner and require less time to rebuild arm strength.
It's worth noting that hyping up Skubal is also in Boras' best interest. The left-hander is a free-agent-to-be after the season and is far and away the top prospect in a mediocre 2027 class.
Skubal's 2025 Stats
In seven starts this year, Skubal is 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 45 strikeouts against six walks in 43 ⅓ innings. He won the American League Cy Young in 2024 and 2025.
Tigers' Standing
The Tigers are off to a disappointing 19-22 start. Despite the low bar of the AL Central, they are tied for third place with the Royals and just 1 ½ games behind the first-place Guardians. No team in the division has a winning record.