After an injury to Justin Verlander, the Detroit Tigers have lost Tarik Skubal to an elbow injury.

“Tarik Skubal scratched Monday,” reported Underdog MLB, with another shocking update just 18 minutes later.

“Tarik Skubal to undergo surgery for loose bodies in his elbow.”

Tarik Skubal was placed on 15-day IL after elbow discomfort during the start against the Atlanta Braves. Reports confirmed that he will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies in his shoulder, just like Edwin Díaz, who underwent a successful surgery on April 22 to remove five loose bodies (bone or cartilage fragments) from his right elbow.

Under the most optimistic scenario, Skubal could be back in Detroit’s rotation by early August, probably right after the All-Star Break.

Per Dr. Kevin Farmer, “It’s probably one of the better ones (surgeries) to have in the shorter term … take out the pieces, do a little cleanup. Short-term, you can bounce back relatively quickly.”

He also noted that a typical progression begins with 6 to 8 weeks of physical therapy to reduce swelling and restore range of motion. That phase is usually followed by another six to eight weeks of throwing and strength buildup before a pitcher is ready to return to game action.

“He’s probably had these and didn’t know he had these,” Dr. Farmer emphasized.

That somewhat makes sense, too.

Tarik Skubal has been reportedly battling this issue intermittently since before spring training. He experienced sporadic pain in his left elbow in the seventh inning of his last start, against the Braves at Truist Park. Manager A.J. Hinch described it as “a funny feeling on the outside of his arm.”

“The thing in Atlanta just happened to be – it’s hard to hide from the camera when you’re on the mound. Sometimes, I can do it in the dugout when there are no cameras. This is something I’ve been dealing with all season,” shared Skubal himself.

During that inning, the 2x Cy Young Award winner shook his left arm, removed his glove, and rubbed his left elbow. Hinch, along with assistant athletic trainer Kelly Rhoades and catcher Dillon Dingler, visited him. He stayed in the game after a practice pitch, then struck out the side.

“I wasn’t very comfortable pitching today, so that led to getting the scan and seeing what’s going on – and then making the decision to get surgery as soon as possible so I can be back as soon as possible,” he noted.

Hence, Hinch had to put his team to the “big test” and scratch Skubal out of Monday’s series opener against the Boston Red Sox.

Is it time for the Tigers to press the panic button? Maybe.

The glimpses were probably there in their first loss of the series against the Red Sex, 5-4. But Comerica Park primarily experienced bullpen failure.

All five of the Red Sox’s runs came off righty reliever Ricky Vanasco and lefty reliever Enmanuel De Jesus in the seventh inning. This also included a leadoff walk from Vanasco and a misplay from right fielder Wenceel Pérez. The Tigers rallied for two runs after a 28-minute rain delay in the eighth inning, but the comeback attempt fell short.

The Detroit Tigers now have an 18-18 record and are tied for first in the AL Central with the Cleveland Guardians. The division remains tight, with all five teams separated by a maximum of three games. Despite losing 14 of 20 road games, Detroit has maintained a strong position. But undeniably, the Tigers have been in a winning position because of their dominant pitching.

The tram has an ERA of just 3.81 and ranks 9 in the league. They also have the lowest number of homers allowed at just 28, and earned just 128 runs, and rank 7 in the league. And for Skubal, the ERA stood at 2.70 this season with a 3-2 record. Even in his last start, he recorded a 2.57 ERA with 7 SOs.

Now, without Skubal, the rotation leans heavily on Framber Valdez and a struggling Jack Flaherty.

Valdez has posted a 3.35 ERA across 40.1 innings. Flaherty has a 5.90 ERA and 1.79 WHIP and has also walked 25 batters, showing his lack of control over the mound. Another option for a starter is right-hander Keider Montero, who replaced an injured Verlander (left hip inflammation) and has impressed despite inconsistency through six starts.

In his last start against the Texas Rangers, Montero posted a 1.35 ERA with 2 SOs in 6.2 innings pitched.

The Tigers have also lost Casey Mize (right adductor (groin) strain) and Reese Olson (right shoulder labral repair surgery – gone for the season) to injuries. All of them are expected to be back after the All-Star Break.

Detroit’s bullpen has been doing just enough to keep the team afloat by ranking 11 in ERA and 5 blown saves. But with the added pressure, the bullpen might start to crack, as we saw in Monday’s game.

Tigers fans lose it after Tarik Skubal placed on IL

“Omg it’s over,” wrote one as Skubal’s news confirmed surgery and a minimum of two months off the mound. He has a record of 45 strikeouts this season, which is exactly why fans are unhappy about the injury. After all, he led the Tigers in their back-to-back postseason appearances, winning the AL Cy Young Award in 2024 and 2025 for his full-season performances.

“Oh no. Diaz just had something similar and is out 2-3 months??? Nightmare scenario for the Tigers right now,” panicked another. The Tigers are dependent on his arm, just like they were in 2025 when he carried the team to the postseason with an ERA of 2.21 and 241 strikeouts. This means that the bullpen will be under more pressure. Injuries to Javier Báez and Zach McKinstry are already affecting the offense, raising the question of how much the Tigers will be exposed. And fans can’t help but compare this to the Díaz-blow.

Edwin Díaz will reportedly have a potential 2-3 month recovery, hoping to return around or after the All-Star break.

“Give me a f—–g break,” read the next. Just on April 29, the Tigers added Casey Mize (2.90 ERA) to the 15-day IL. Verlander is also there with Javier Báez (ankle sprain) and Zach McKinstry (hip inflammation). So, the offense was already down, and now the pitching is falling too.

Calculating the timeline, one fan wrote, “We expect recovery to take longer, possibly returning in early September.” If this is true, it might be too late for the Tigers. Especially with such a close gap in the whole division.

Meanwhile, some took a jab at his massive contract. “Exhibit A of why you don’t pay a 30-year-old pitcher for 10 years 300+ million.” The star pitcher won a record $32 million salary for his final year of team control by beating the Tigers’ $19 million offer in a historic arbitration hearing. Reportedly, Skubal will get a contract near $400 million in the coming offseason, after becoming a free agent following this season. But with him being a pitcher, the regression will always be faster than for a batter because of wear and tear.

With Tarik Skubal already having undergone a Tommy John in 2016 at Seattle University and flexor tendon surgery in 2022 with the Tigers, this will be his third one. Evidently, fans will be skeptical, especially considering that he will be 30 this year. Yet, Skubal himself is positive.

“I’m going to come back and be the same guy. I’ve had two arm injuries before – and I think I’ve come back pretty well from those. I’ll come back and try to be the same version of myself,” shared the Detroit Tigers’ ace.