Tigers pitcher needs elbow surgery
Detroit Free Press • • sports
Key Points:
- Detroit Tigers' ace pitcher Tarik Skubal has been placed on the injured list and will undergo surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, sidelining him for an estimated two to three months.
- The 29-year-old left-hander, a two-time AL Cy Young Award winner, was scratched from his scheduled start on May 4 against the Boston Red Sox due to worsening elbow discomfort.
- Skubal has been managing elbow pain intermittently since before spring training, with symptoms intensifying recently, prompting the decision for surgery to facilitate a quicker recovery.
- This will be Skubal’s third left elbow surgery, following Tommy John surgery in 2016 and flexor tendon surgery in 2022; despite the setback, he remains optimistic about returning to form.
- Since returning from his 2023 surgery, Skubal has been MLB’s top pitcher by fWAR, and the Tigers anticipate adapting without him while looking forward to his eventual return later this season.
