The Detroit Tigers are waiting patiently for Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to make his return from injury.
Skubal underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow at the beginning of May. His initial return timeline was unclear, but expected to be somewhere between 2 and 3 months.
On Thursday, an update emerged on the Skubal front as the Tigers pitcher was seen throwing a bullpen session at Comerica Park.
Tarik Skubal throwing a bullpen at Comerica Park 👀🐅@jonmorosi | #MLBCentral pic.twitter.com/5cukOC1NVW
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 21, 2026
MLB insider Jon Morosi later added that the bullpen session “went well, by all indications,” and revealed that Skubal’s return from injury could be on the “early end.”
Tarik Skubal, who won the American League Cy Young award in 2025, had a 3-2 record with a 2.70 ERA before the surgery. He even threw seven innings with just two runs and seven strikeouts on April 29 against the Atlanta Braves in his latest start.
Skubal’s agent, Scott Boras, insisted the Tigers pitcher would be back sooner than expected after they did a special procedure, now named the “Skubal Scope.”
The reigning AL Cy Young winner even saw his name circulate in some trade rumors, especially since Skubal is expected to hit free agency this offseason. However, that speculation was seemingly shut down by several insiders around the league, and the expectation is that the Tigers will ride it out this season wth the southpaw.
