Didn’t Hear No Bell: Tarik Skubal Already Throwing After Elbow Surgery
· Yahoo Sports
As soon as Tigers ace Tarik Skubal announced he would be sidelined due to elbow surgery, the entire city of Detroit seemed to take a punch to the gut.
Fans had rallied behind the Tigers this offseason despite the organization seemingly avoiding major additions to a lineup desperately needing more offensive firepower. Still, the club’s “all-in” mentality showed through with its willingness to spend heavily on the pitching staff. That optimism quickly disappeared the moment alerts started flashing across phones around Michigan.
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Whether it came from ESPN, Yahoo, a text message, or a phone call, the news spread like wildfire. Suddenly, dreams of a fairytale ending for newly returned pitcher Justin Verlander — along with one final dominant run from Skubal before his career potentially takes him to a bigger market on the East or West Coast — came crashing down.
The initial report was grim. Skubal would undergo surgery to clean up loose bodies in his elbow, with an estimated recovery timeline of at least two months. For many fans, the season instantly felt like dust in the wind.
Then came the surprise.
Barely a week after surgery, Skubal was already playing catch.
Per MLB insider Jon Heyman on May 15:
“Tarik Skubal is already playing catch, barely a week out of elbow surgery. The operation to remove one loose body was arthroscopic, and he might beat initial estimates of 2 months out. Six weeks remains possible.”
Momentum continued building on May 18 when Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic posted on X:
“Tarik Skubal looked great warming up today. Weather moved his bullpen inside, but Skubal said he used all his pitches, did a normal Day 2 session.”
Skubal ultimately needed one loose body removed from his elbow through arthroscopic surgery, and his recovery already appears to be moving faster than expected.
For the best pitcher in the world, maybe it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Skubal has consistently looked like someone capable of defying the odds. His overpowering velocity and explosive mechanics require an incredible amount of force every time he steps on the mound. Built like a tank, Skubal’s muscular frame has always been part of what makes him so dominant. Now, that same physical strength appears to be paying dividends in recovery as well.
If anyone could realistically return ahead of schedule from a procedure like this, it would be him.
The Tigers, meanwhile, are absolutely desperate for their ace to get back.
Detroit has completely bottomed out since the Skubal news, especially with injuries continuing to pile up across the roster. During Monday’s series opener against the Cleveland Guardians, a television graphic highlighted the massive injury disparity between the two teams. The Tigers currently have 13 players on the injured list, accounting for roughly $97.2 million in salary.
A season once filled with playoff expectations and “all-in” energy has suddenly skidded to a halt. Since the Skubal injury news, the Tigers have gone just 2-11 and now sit 6.5 games back.
What makes Skubal’s recovery timeline especially fascinating is how it could impact his long-term future financially.
One path says he returns quickly, proves the loose body issue was minor, and reminds everyone he still has everything needed to dominate baseball for the next decade. The other possibility is far more complicated. Returning too quickly could lead to struggles, rust, or diminished performance, potentially costing himself money down the line.
There’s also another side to it.
If Skubal stays on the injured list deep into the season, he preserves the mystery surrounding just how healthy — and dominant — he still is. Front offices across baseball may continue viewing him as one of the game’s elite arms, while also quietly wondering how serious the injury truly was.
Through it all, Skubal has never really come across as someone motivated strictly by money. He genuinely seems to love Detroit. Back during the World Baseball Classic in March, some fans questioned why he didn’t push himself harder. Now, in hindsight, the reasoning makes far more sense, and Tigers fans should probably be thankful he didn’t overextend himself then. Things could have been much worse.
The Tigers need healthy bodies. They need some good luck. Most importantly, they need the best pitcher in baseball back on the mound as quickly as possible before the season spirals completely out of control.
Until then, fans will continue watching every Skubal rehab update like it’s the final pitch of a Game 7.
Because the reality is simple: Skubal represents Detroit’s best chance at a resurgence and a push toward a playoff spot. Without him, even with other players eventually returning healthy, the climb may simply be too steep.