Tigers' Tarik Skubal out undetermined amount of time, will need surgery

Newsweek·May 4

Tigers Face Major Setback After Latest News on Tarik Skubal

News ArticlePublishedMay 04, 2026 at 04:21 PM EDTBy Cole SullivanThis is a big season for Tarik Skubal, who is set to enter unrestricted free agency at the end of the year and is widely viewed as one of the top pitchers on the market.He was scheduled to start Monday’s series opener at home against the Boston Red Sox before AJ Hinch announced he had been scratched, later revealing concerning injury news.Skubal will undergo arthroscopic elbow surgery to remove “loose bodies,” a procedure that typically comes with a recovery timeline of two to three months, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.More news: Is OF James Tibbs III The Next Future Star Player For the Dodgers?More news: Red Sox, Phillies 6-Year Veteran Pitcher DiesFor now, there is no official timetable for his return, but if that timeline holds, a comeback likely wouldn’t come until sometime in August.Before the injury, Skubal had been pitching at a high level, recording four straight outings of six or more innings and posting a 2.70 ERA across 43.1 innings entering Monday....His absence puts added pressure on the rest of Detroit’s rotation as the Tigers sit at 18–17, tied for first in the AL Central with the Cleveland Guardians.In

USA Today·May 4

Tarik Skubal and the Tigers each rolled the dice. His surgery clouds the future for both.

May 4, 2026, 4:51 p.m. ETThis is certainly not the worst-case scenario. Yet, it's a reality that Tarik Skubal – and the Detroit Tigers – always had to be prepared to accept.Skubal and the Tigers entered into an uneasy limbo this season, Skubal knowing he'd be just six months from a payday approaching $500 million by not entertaining long-term extension talks – and the Tigers potentially left holding the bag if they didn't trade him.So, when the club announced Monday, May 4 that Skubal will be undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow, both parties could do little but grimace at the ramifications.Both sides assumed risk, and each will take a hit. Skubal's recovery will determine how big that will be.For the Tigers? This significantly dents their chances in this all-in year, the last season they'll employ the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner before he plays the rich and desperate against each other this winter and wins Major League Baseball's equivalent of Powerball.For Skubal? Well, this is not Tommy John surgery heading into a walk year, nor a concerning shoulder or rotator cuff malady and certainly not something career-threatening such as certain strains of thoracic outlet

USA Today·May 4

What are loose bodies? Tarik Skubal's injury, surgery explained

May 4, 2026, 4:30 p.m. ETDetroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal will have surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow.The injury is caused by bone or cartilage fragments breaking off and floating within the joint.Recovery from this type of procedure typically takes two to three months.Tarik Skubal, the two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner, will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, the Detroit Tigers announced May 4. No timetable for his return has been set, but a two-to-three-month recovery is typical for this type of procedure. That would potentially have the 29-year-old ace out of the rotation until sometime in July or August. What are loose bodies? About the Tarik Skubal injuryLoose bodies are fragments of bone, cartilage or both that have broken off and float freely inside a joint. In a pitcher’s elbow, they are typically caused by the extreme stress of throwing. The violent snapping motion of releasing a pitch, repeated thousands of times over a career, causes bone and cartilage to chip away. It usually comes from the back of the elbow. Those fragments can move around the joint, causing locking, catching, pain and loss of range of motion.

ABC News·May 4

Two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to have elbow surgery to remove loose bodies

Two-time American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will have surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow after being scratched from Monday’s start against the Boston Red SoxByThe Associated PressMay 4, 2026, 2:52 PMDETROIT -- Two-time American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will have surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow after being scratched from Monday's start against the Boston Red Sox.Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters that the left-hander felt discomfort in his elbow on Sunday, less than a week after an injury scare against the Atlanta Braves. The 29-year-old — set to become a free agent next offseason — underwent tests that showed the loose bodies. The surgery hadn't yet been scheduled. There is no immediate timetable for his return, though similar injuries usually require a two-to-three month recover period.“From my understanding, you just go take it out,” Skubal told MLB.com. “I think length of the rehab is probably just getting your spring training buildup up again, getting your volume up. But the procedure itself I think is pretty simple as far as what I’ve been explained.”Skubal pitched for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic this spring but was careful with his workload,

USA Today·May 4

Tigers' Tarik Skubal out undetermined amount of time, will need surgery

Updated May 4, 2026, 2:51 p.m. ETThe Detroit Tigers will be without ace pitcher Tarik Skubal for an undetermined amount of time after an examination revealed loose bodies in his left elbow.Tigers manager A.J. Hinch revealed before Monday night's game against the Boston Red Sox that Skubal, 29, will need surgery and be put on the injured list.During the seventh inning of his last start, April 29 against the Atlanta Braves, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner called time, shook his left arm and rubbed his left elbow as Hinch and assistant athletic trainer Kelly Rhoades bounded out of the dugout.After a brief conversation and one warmup pitch, Skubal remained in the game.When asked about the incident by reporters, Skubal was reluctant to share any further details."I don't really know," Skubal said before Sunday's game, according to the Detroit Free Press. "You've heard the word 'zinger,' I guess, but it wasn't really like a nerve thing, so I don't know."Skubal has been the best pitcher in baseball over the past two seasons.He won his first Cy Young award in 2024 when he posted a major league-leading 18-4 record with 228 strikeouts and a 2.39 ERA.He followed that up with