Tigers Ace Tarik Skubal Out Indefinitely After Elbow Surgery

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal to undergo elbow surgery to remove loose bodies; timeline unclear

The news is a brutal blow to a Tigers team with playoff dreams

By Matt Snyder

May 4, 2026 at 2:58 pm ET • 2 min read

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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 appeared to feel something in his elbow during his last start, calling catcher Dillon Dingler out to the mound. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch and a trainer joined as well, but Skubal ended up staying in the game.

> The trainer came out to check on Tarik Skubal after he motioned to Dillon Dingler to come out to the mound. Skubal remained in the game. pic.twitter.com/sbgQlNw937 — Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) April 30, 2026

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 Young awards.

It's difficult to judge how this injury and surgery would affect Skubal's earning potential in free agency until we have a better grasp of his possible timetable for a return. Historically, a procedure to remove loose bodies has typically cost pitchers roughly two to three months, according to the Baseball Prospectus recovery dashboard. If Skubal ends up in that territory, he could well return for a good portion of the season.

What's left of the Tigers rotation

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.

As for what remains in the Tigers' rotation, there's not much at the moment.  Framber Valdez , Jack Flaherty and Keider Montero  have combined for 20 starts this season. Casey Mize hit the injured list last week due to a mild right adductor strain and it's possible he'll return in a few weeks. Justin Verlander has a hip injury and is still a few weeks from a return. Reese Olson is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in February and  Jackson Jobe  only just threw his first bullpen session after Tommy John surgery.

In the meantime, Ty Madden has been recalled from the minors to take Skubal's rotation spot. Reliever Tyler Holton  was announced as the starting pitcher for Monday, which will likely end up as a bullpen game. Valdez, Flaherty and Montero are scheduled to follow and then maybe we'll know more about the rotation come Saturday. Sawyer Gipson-Long is in Triple-A and is on the Tigers' 40-man roster, so he might be an option down the road.

Until the rotation gets healthier, Hinch will have to get creative with the bullpen or the Tigers will have to lean on Madden and/or Gipson-Long.

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.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/tigers-tarik-skubal-elbow-surgery-timeline/)._