Comerica Park went silent on Friday night. Tarik Skubal had been in complete control, dominating the Miami Marlins lineup, when suddenly he frowned, dropped his arm, and walked toward the dugout. A stadium that had been roaring moments earlier froze. Detroit’s ace, the engine behind their World Series push, was leaving the game in the fourth inning with discomfort in his side. Fans held their breath. Their October dreams now hostage to an MRI machine.

The timing could not have been worse. Detroit leads the AL Central and is in a tight battle with the Toronto Blue Jays for the league’s best record, where every win could determine home-field advantage in the postseason. Losing Skubal, who has a 13–5 record with a 2.26 ERA and 224 strikeouts over 183⅓ innings, would have been a nightmare scenario. His 0.86 WHIP is the lowest in the American League, and he’s a frontrunner for a second consecutive Cy Young Award. Without him, the rotation’s balance and Detroit’s October plans would have been in jeopardy.

By Saturday afternoon, manager A.J. Hinch had good news to deliver. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on X: “Tarik Skubal’s imaging came back clean and he plans on making his next scheduled start, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.” The ace himself had been optimistic walking off the field, and now the medical report backed it up. A collective sigh of relief swept across Detroit.

Now the Tigers can refocus on the road ahead. Detroit wraps up its series with Miami on Sunday before a high-stakes three-game showdown with Cleveland, a series that could effectively bury the Guardians’ postseason hopes. Having Skubal lined up to pitch one of those games doesn’t just stabilize the rotation; it sets the tone for the clubhouse. Hinch can keep his bullpen fresh, deploy his matchups aggressively, and make every game in this tight September race count.

Skubal’s 2025 workload has been nothing short of elite. He’s cleared 180 innings for the second straight year and continues to pitch deep into games, giving Detroit length when others around the league are seeing workloads taper. That reliability has allowed Hinch to avoid bullpen overuse and keep his high-leverage arms like Alex Lange and Jason Foley rested for late-inning battles.

The fans also took to social media to express their initial shock and the subsequent relief around Tarik Skubal’s injury.

From panic to relief: Detroit breathes again after Tarik Skubal’s clean scans

Detroit fans wasted no time sharing their relief online. Within minutes of Jeff Passan’s post, X lit up with Tigers supporters celebrating the news, sharing memes of Skubal as a “September savior,” and joking that Comerica Park should host a collective sigh of relief night. What had been panic 24 hours earlier quickly turned into excitement, with many calling Skubal’s clean scan “the biggest win of the weekend.”

“That is an absolute huge relief for the Detroit Tigers. Losing Skubal would’ve been a big blow to the postseason hopes and dreams.” One fan posted moments after the news broke. For them, this isn’t just relief, it’s a season-saving turn of events. Losing Tarik Skubal would have ripped the heart out of a rotation built around his dominance. The 28-year-old has been the Tigers’ most valuable arm, leading the American League with a 0.86 WHIP and striking out 224 batters. Remove that production in mid-September, and suddenly Detroit’s grip on the AL Central feels a lot shakier.

“I honestly don’t know why Skubal isn’t an MVP frontrunner. The Tigers are truly toast without him.” It’s hard to argue with that sentiment. Skubal has been every bit as valuable as some MVP candidates. Just last week, he shut down the White Sox with seven scoreless innings, giving up only two hits and striking out six to snap Chicago’s winning streak and keep Detroit atop the AL Central. Not just that, in May, he pitched his first career complete-game shutout against the Guardians, with 13 strikeouts and no walks while allowing only two hits. He enters the homestretch with 13 wins and 5 losses and a 2.26 ERA, ranking first in WHIP, second in strikeouts among AL starters. That’s the kind of impact that makes fans wonder why his name isn’t being shouted in the MVP conversation.

“Skip him one start just to be safe. Still can get a start in before the end of season. They’ll have a Top Seed, so plenty of rest for GM1.” Some fans are taking the cautious route, calling for Detroit to skip Skubal’s next turn through the rotation just to keep him fresh. With the Tigers holding a top seed in the AL and nearly locked into a postseason berth, they argue there’s little reason to risk a relapse in his injury before October. Sitting him for one start still gives him a chance to tune up before Game 1, and with home-field advantage within reach, that extra rest could pay off big when the lights get brightest.

“Still think it was just muscle cramps, tbh. Humid weather plus exertion usually results in that if not properly hydrated.” Some commenters have even floated the idea that Skubal left on purpose, a move to protect his Cy Young chances rather than risk a bad inning that might inflate his ERA. It’s a spicy theory that’s made its rounds online, but most fans, though, aren’t buying the drama. They point to the real culprits: a humid September night, a pitcher deep into an outing, and the natural wear and tear that comes with 180+ innings of work.

Whether it was an overcautious move or pure muscle fatigue, one thing is clear: Detroit keeps its ace ready for the postseason, and fans can finally exhale.