Tigers ace and two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal is headed for elbow surgery, manager A.J. Hinch announced before Monday’s game. Skubal has been diagnosed with loose bodies in his elbow and will undergo surgery to remove them. The Tigers have yet to provide an expected timetable for his possible return this season.
Skubal, 29, is 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 45 strikeouts against six walks in 43 ⅓ innings this season for the Tigers. He’s set to hit free agency after this season and the expectation is he’ll land a monster deal, perhaps even record-setting. In the last four seasons combined, he’s gone 41-15 with a 2.41 ERA and 616 strikeouts in 511 innings, becoming the first American League pitcher in decades to win back-to-back Cy Youngs.
This is, quite obviously, a huge blow to the Tigers. Skubal is arguably the best pitcher in the world. The Tigers have made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, but haven’t been to the ALCS since 2013. At present, the Tigers are 18-17, good for a first-place tie in the AL Central.
With Skubal joining Garrett Crochet and Hunter Brown on the IL, the top three finishers from AL Cy Young voting last season are on the shelf.
CBS Sports will have more on this breaking news shortly.
