The American League playoff picture may have potentially just been turned on its head.
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal exited Friday’s game against the Miami Marlins due to a concerning-looking injury. During the fourth inning at loanDepot park in Miami, Fla., Skubal induced a flyout from Marlins first baseman Eric Wagaman on an 84-mph changeup.
Soon after throwing the pitch, Skubal began grabbing at the left side of his body. After briefly then consulting with a trainer, the lefty Skubal walked off the mound to exit the game. Here is the video.
AL Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal left the game due to injury after reaching for the left side of his body after throwing a pitch pic.twitter.com/LTIZtiRC43
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 13, 2025
Skubal, 28, is the reigning AL Cy Young winner and is once again the favorite to take home the award this year. He entered play on Friday with a 13-4 record on an AL-leading 2.10 ERA and an MLB-leading 0.86 WHIP to go along with 222 strikeouts (though Skubal did give up four earned runs in his 3.1 innings of work against Miami).
For the Tigers, who are an AL Central-leading 84-63 this season, their championship hopes largely rest on Skubal’s shoulders. While they should be able to wrap up the division regardless, an extended absence by Skubal (especially with the playoffs set to start in roughly three weeks) could end up dooming Detroit.
Skubal is only under contract with Detroit through the 2026 season, and some big rivals are already planning to pursue him two winters from now. That means the Tigers need to do everything they can do maximize Skubal’s window right now, something that clearly won’t happen if Skubal is not at 100 percent for the 2025 postseason.
