Detroit Tigers ace and two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal underwent surgery last week to remove loose bodies from his elbow. The club didn't reveal an expected timeline for his return, but the typical recovery schedule is about two or three months, dependent on the extent of the procedure.
Scott Boras, Skubal's agent, said over the weekend that it could be an even quicker return. According to Boras on ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" podcast, Dr. Neal ElAttrache used a NanaScope, making it a far less invasive surgery.
"This is really almost like receiving a shot," Boras said, referring to the surgical instrument as a "Skubal scope." He added: "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 puts Skubal on a timeline that could have him back before the end of June. The less-invasive surgery would allow him to start throwing again sooner and correspondingly take less time to build back up arm strength.
In seven starts this year, Skubal is 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 45 strikeouts against six walks in 43⅓ innings. He won the American League Cy Young in 2024 and 2025.
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 1.5 games behind the first-place Guardians. No team in the division has a winning record.