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Tarik Skubal, the Detroit Tigers ace and two-time American League Cy Young Award winner, will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow that will keep him sidelined for months, manager AJ Hinch said Monday.
Skubal is not done this season, but is expected to be out two to three months after surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow, ESPN reported.
Hinch called it an “easy process and procedure” in breaking the news, but it’s certainly a blow to the Tigers staff and to Skubal personally to be sidelined for months.
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Detroit pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts during the MLB game between the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves on April 29, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)
Skubal’s arm got stuck during a bullpen session Sunday before his scheduled start against the Boston Red Sox on Monday night. He will now undergo surgery and Hinch did not provide a specific timeline for his return.
Skubal’s last start came in a 4-3 win over the league-leading Atlanta Braves last Wednesday, where he allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings of work. He struck out seven Braves batters during his outing.
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However, in that game, Skubal was seen rubbing his left arm, prompting Hinch and a Tigers trainer to go to the mound to check on the pitcher. Skubal, however, remained in the game after throwing a warm-up pitch and pitched seven solid innings.
As a result of Skubal’s absence, the Tigers called up Ty Madden to the big leagues. Tyler Holton will also be the starter on Monday night, serving as the Tigers’ starter before Hinch needs to get creative with his bullpen.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts after allowing a hit against the Minnesota Twins in the fourth inning at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 14, 2025. (Jesse Johnson/Image Images)
Skubal is the latest Tigers starter to be placed on the disabled list, joining Casey Mize and Justin Verlander. That leaves Framber Valdez and Jack Flaherty as the only healthy starters at the moment.
For Skubal, the timing isn’t the best, especially with free agency looming.
Skubal won a record-setting arbitration case this offseason, where the Tigers were told to pay the left-handed ace $32 million for the 2026 campaign after he proposed a $19 million salary. The win surpassed Juan Soto’s 2024 arbitration fee from the New York Yankees by $1 million.
Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers watches between pitches during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 29, 2026. (Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
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But without a long-term deal for Skubal, the electric starter will become one of the top free agents after the season, as long as he and the Tigers don’t figure something out before then. That seems unlikely to happen at this point.
All teams interested in Skubal will closely monitor his recovery and eventual return. Until then, Hinch and the Tigers will need others to step up in the starting rotation.
