The Tigers received a gut-punch medical update, as ace Tarik Skubal is headed for arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow, manager A.J. Hinch tells the team’s beat (link via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com). A timetable for his recovery has not yet been determined, but Skubal will obviously be placed on the 15-day injured list for now. The Tigers will recall righty Ty Madden and go with a bullpen game opened by Tyler Holton in Skubal’s place tonight.
Skubal has been his typically excellent self so far in 2026. He’s started seven games, totaled 43 1/3 innings and notched a tidy 2.70 ERA to begin the season. His average fastball is down about a mile per hour relative to last year’s 97.6 mph peak, but this year’s 96.6 mph average is right in line with his 2024 levels, when he won the first of his two Cy Young trophies. Skubal has fanned 27.1% of his opponents against a superlative 3.6% walk rate.
Though it may not be the strongest start of Skubal’s career, his track record makes him the consensus top pitcher in the American League — if not all of MLB. Losing him for what will surely be an extended period is brutal for the Tigers, particularly given the team’s lackluster start to the season. Detroit is 18-17, tied with Cleveland for first place in the American League Central. Had the Tigers rushed out to a big lead, the loss of their ace — while still demoralizing — might have been easier to weather. Instead, their pedestrian play thus far has kept even the last-place Twins (15-20) within three games of a share of the division lead.
Every injury is different, but precedent suggests that Skubal should still be able to return to the mound this year. He’s not even a lock to be placed on the 60-day IL. Illustrating the variety of possible outcomes here, Atlanta’s Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both underwent surgery to remove loose bodies within days of each other this spring. Schwellenbach was immediately placed on the 60-day IL and still hasn’t begun throwing despite a nearly two-month layoff. Waldrep, meanwhile, was never placed on the 60-day IL and is set to throw bullpen sessions this week. He could feasibly return by late May or early June.
Cautioning that the absence might “only” be two to three months isn’t much of a silver lining for Detroit fans, but it’s still noteworthy that Skubal has a very real chance of being back later this summer — possibly with a decent portion of the season left. In the meantime, however, the Tigers’ rotation depth is being put through the wringer.
Skubal joins Casey Mize, Justin Verlander and Reese Olson on the injured list. Mize is dealing with a groin strain. Verlander has inflammation in his hip. Olson underwent shoulder surgery and will miss the entire 2026 season. Prized young righty Jackson Jobe is also on the 60-day injured list while he continues his yearlong rehab from last June’s Tommy John surgery. Jobe could potentially be an option in July or August. It’s possible he and Skubal will be ramping up to return to the rotation around the same time, even. Another promising young right-hander, Troy Melton, has been out all season due to an elbow strain.
With so many pitchers on the shelf, the Tigers will go with Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty and Keider Montero atop the rotation for the time being. Swingman Drew Anderson is an obvious candidate for the rotation. He’s posted a 5.12 ERA in 19 1/3 innings of relief this season but was dominant in the Korea Baseball Organization last year and signed a one-year, $7MM contract in free agency this winter. Anderson’s 26.5% strikeout rate, 10.8% walk rate and 13.7% swinging-strike rate all suggest that his ERA ought to be a fair bit lower; metrics like SIERA (3.45) and xERA (4.06) are far more bullish on his work.
Righty Sawyer Gipson-Long is on the 40-man roster down in Triple-A and could get a look at some point. Several of the Tigers’ minor league arms — Jake Miller, Troy Watson, Joseph Montalvo — are on the injured list in Triple-A and Double-A as well. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Detroit try to go outside the organization for some more depth, though it’s in short supply this time of season. Mize and Verlander will have spots waiting for them upon return, but Verlander has been down about a month already and isn’t yet on a rehab assignment, while the Tigers haven’t given a clear indication of how long Mize will be shelved.
The more immediate concern is how the Tigers navigate this injury and what it does to their chances in the American League Central, of course. However, Skubal’s surgery and how he pitches upon returning also cloud what could be the most lucrative trip to free agency for any pitcher in history.
Skubal clearly won’t be winning a third straight Cy Young Award now. A setback, a longer-than-anticipated rehab process and/or poor performance upon returning from the injured list could all impact what was shaping up to be the loftiest earning power of any pitcher in MLB history. If he makes it back to the mound midsummer and immediately snaps back into old form, it’s possible the injury won’t ultimately weigh down his contract much, but there are too many unknowns right now to gauge the situation with any semblance of certainty.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported that Skubal was being scratched from his start tonight.
Nooooooooooooooooooooo
Yup. Another loose body. 5’9 and 222 here.
That’s about average for an American man
222 lbs is obese for a 5’9’ man are you serious?
Anthony,
He could be a bodybuilder
Lol totally serious. Life happens. Was at 195 and working out, but needed a spinal fusion back surgery.
Gained some weight, but just got cleared recently to ramp up from just doing light workouts/PT. I’ll get you a weight update on the next loose bodies article on here. 😉
Considering that over 40% of Americans are clinically obese, yes I’m serious
He is serious, and don’t call him Shirley.
Looks like someone should have signed that extension now.
Yanks will still offer him $700m
This takes a trade deadline deal some fans thought could happen off the table.
99 – He probably wants to be a Dodger or Yankee.
Yankees don’t need him as they are stacked with pitching on the ML level and minors. Yankees only going after pitching if it involves Skenes whom I believe is dying to be a Yankee.
The good old days of Boss George buying all the most expensive ballplayers are OVER!
Skenes grew up an Angels fan. I bet he ends up being a Dodger over a Yankee.
The Tigers were never trading him.
He probably wants to be paid, regardless of the team.
The Dodgers will get Skenes and Skuball. Or if they dont want one of them, Stevie C will pay whatever it takes on either one.
They are stuck now. Their season is over. So they werent trding him. At the end of the year he was leaving guaranteed.
Steve Cohen sucks. Hasn’t done jack.
Not true. He’s spent lots of money!
So true.
He was never signing with the Tigers and the Tigers were never gonna pay him top FA $$$ so that was an offer made knowing he would turn it down to hopefully keep the front office blame free.
Lou- I don’t see us coming back to baseball after the lost 2027 season having nesrly the same financial structure as what’s in place now.
Skubal/Boras was never signing with anyone prior to 2027. The Tigers could have offered $999 million and Boras would have just made a mental note to pursue $1 billion.
Starting the afternoon off hot!
Is this biting sarcasm or just a casual observation?
I think it’s both, with the caveat that I am certainly not happy to see the man with Seattle ties injured.
So, what SPs are even left? Flaherty and Montero?
And Valdez thankfully.
Mize and Verlander will be back soon. Fingers crossed Jackson Jobe returns mid season.
No!
This is fine 🔥 🐶 ☕️ 🔥
Why does the article contradict itself? It first says that he’s been his typical excellent self so far this season… and then proceeds to say he’s not necessarily having the strongest start this season.
Which one is it? Lol
I see two different posts on X, one saying missed start, one saying IL. I think these guys are updating it as we speak
This is likely the case. Their original article just mentioned a scratched start and said that Detroit was just doing this as a precaution. Then like 10 minutes later, he’s now having surgery and will miss a few months. Brutal news for Skubal, wonder how much money it’ll cost him.
As long as he returns to pitch before the end of the season it shouldn’t cost him any money in free agency.
Poor guy might only get 300 mil instead of 400. We should start a gofundme
The amount he’s making this year ($32 million) is generational wealth.
@Astros71: “The amount he’s making this year ($32 million) is generational wealth.”
Wow, thanks Sherlock. I guess Skubal should just pack it in and retire now that he has ‘generational wealth’. Not sure why everyone always feels compelled to mention that. No one is asking you to feel sorry for the guy. It’s worth mentioning how much money a big injury could cost him because it could possibly open up the number of potential teams interested this offseason.
So he doesn’t need a GoFundMe
Of course it will; teams pay for consistency as well as excellence, and now Skubal has question marks.
I already started one for him, up to $25,000 should get some food on the table and keep the horses undercover.
Disagree. No one is paying 400 million now.
Nope. thats small money. Also alot goes to taxes. Ask Soto.
Skubal is going to get record money for a pitcher, both in AAV and in total dollars. This injury that keeps him out a couple of months won’t change that at all.
There’s no contradiction. What is typical is not the best, by definition
@KcsMsFan
It says he has been his typical self. then it says even though it isn’t the best start to a season in his career, he is still the favorite to win the CY Young…
So basically, saying he has been even if not to his best standards, he is far and away the best in the AL.
Thru first 7 starts:
2026: 2.15 FIP
2025: 2.50 FIP
2024: 2.09 FIP
2023: 2.00 FIP
Lot of words to say he was off to his customary excellent start.
They changed the wording after I posted my reply. It makes a lot more sense now.
He had one rough outing
That is a blow to Skubal. Seems like a great dude and fun to watch pitch.
Every starter who sits 97+ gets hurt. Every single one
God forbid that a major league ballclub would want a junkballer or a soft-tossing lefty in their rotation today.
They wouldn’t be able to get many people out against today’s hitters.
Too much emphasis on smoke-smoke-smoke. Too much emphasis on Three True Outcomes.
Sure they would, but it would require teams teaching guys how to pitch, not just throw as hard as they can
Soft tossers as a whole get hammered. Look at the numbers
Check out Wrobleski with the Dodgers. 5-0 with an era of 1.25. has a fastball that might not break window glass. Strikes out nobody.
Currently leads or nearly leads every pitching category in the NL that doesn’t measure strikeouts.
Just keeps the other team from scoring.
Come back in a month or two and report on how Wrobleski is doing. He’s a useful arm for sure but there’s zero chance his ERA stays below 2 for another month or below 3 for the season.
I agree. A small sample size is not a career. It’s also not a guarantee of good health. Junk pitchers get injured too.
But it is a reminder that deception and pitch selection can still win games in the MLB.
He throws upper 90s lol. Last year he touched 100 multiple times
GMobey:
True.
I over stated for effect when I said Wobbles had no fastball.
I follow the team.
But I haven’t seen him throw anything like the velo in your post.
The link below describes in detail a pitcher sitting in the low 90s but has insufficient movement on the fastball. AKA a fly ball pitcher that will be drilled if he tries to over power batters with his heater.
Which brings us back to a 25 year old winning in the MLB with deception and pitch selection.
brooksbaseball.net/landing.php?player=680736
He’ll be around a 3.00-3.50 this season. He’s legitimate but won’t maintain his current stats.
Wrobleski sat 96 last season. Check his Statcast velo numbers
The Dodgers have scored 8 runs per game for Wrobleski. A lot easier to throw strikes when you’ve got that many runs on the scoreboard.
Hammerin Hank? In this world of low BA and high K? These batters are going down against straight up fastballs they can predict are coming. Put some pitchers moving the around there wiuld be immense trouble.
Randy Jones dominated this way too.
This will be the case until a team can dominate with a scrappy speed and elite defensive team again, and while it could happen it simply hasn’t happened for at least a decade that I can recall and the Whiteyball style doesn’t dominate, it pesters the opponent till it breaks through and sneaks a 1 run win in the 9th…. fun to watch in ’85 but it was a 3 hour ballgame with 13 hits and 2 runs on the scoreboard….
Canokorn – Whiteyball is more likley to occur now than at any point since the 80s. The game structure supports it now
Yes, the rule changes make it viable, but there isn’t really anyone doing it well enough to call it Whiteyball. I had thought STL was leaning this way with their roster construction, but they sit in 10th in hr currently but only middle of the pack in stolen bases. The bunting for hits, hit and runs, and stolen bases were fun to watch in the 80’s and it’d be fun to watch again. No one really wants to see a bunch of slap hitters that can’t run though and it seems like most of the pure hitters in today’s game are big guys without the afterburners.
God forbid that a major league ballclub would want a junkballer or a soft-tossing
============
I can throw pretty slow, but I’m not recommending anyone sign me.
Two words (or maybe one) knuckle ball
Known soft tossing lefty Marco Gonzales has had multiple arm surgeries and injuries, he did not pitch in 2025. Doesn’t matter if you’re tossing 85, or slinging 100+, pitching is terrible on the arm.
Damn you baseball gods
Huge blow for the Tigers. You could probably do this operation for about 90% of the pitchers in baseball.
BRUTAL
edwin diaz had same surgery in april and is going to miss about 4 months
skubal may have thrown his last pitch as a tiger.
terrible for detroit… terrible for baseball…
Exactly plus he likely will be well rested without a team midway through 2027 when players are locked out so he will lose another $15-20 million by not getting paid as he cannot sign with a club until strike is over.
Players will not be locked-out, not to worry.
Stop trying to make a lockout happen.
Jarred…this is from Robert Murray’s Fansided newsletter:
“A looming lockout? Have no fear
One prominent baseball person reached out to me and noted that ahead of labor negotiations, that the sport is in a good position. The San Diego Padres just sold for slightly under $4 billion. Many teams, mostly small to mid market, are contending while the big-spending Phillies and Mets have struggled mightily. Might that help the Players’ Associations case in talks this winter? It won’t hurt.”
I have always been and still remain very optimistic that no baseball will be sacrificed in 2027.
Most likely he is done for the season.
He’s out for two or three months.
I HATE BASEBALL…..
It hates you.
Clever.
Apparently…..
Hope a quick recovery for him. Worst possible time for this to happen in a free agent year.
AI says this typically takes 2-3 months to return to competition.
Bad but not as bad as I thought
2-3 months? Just in time for the trade deadline
AI is not a doctor though he plays one on the internet.
Well, that decides the AL central.
White Sox?
Murakami in the playoffs in his first season would be very healthy for baseball’s popularity.
Now he can go back to the tigers since he will be cheaper
Hah, that’s a pipe dream. I doubt this will change things in the offseason.
I am not surprised that he is injured based on how he dropped his glove on the mound and grabbed his forearm during his last start. I was hoping it was just some fatigue, but my hopes have been dashed.
Let’s hope it is just loose bodies and there is no ligament damage.
Yippeeeeeeee !
Um
Edwin Diaz just had a similar injury. About 3 months for him. Probably expect similar for Skubal
Same for Carlos Rodon.
Good thing I only have tight bodies.
The next thing you know its a TJ. Who knows. Crochet is another big guy hurt.
There goes his $400 mill
Well, if he doesn’t get it this off-season he’ll take a one-year deal and get his $400 mill after 2027.
This probably shaves a chunk off of that, though I’m not sure he was realistically getting that anyway
He is still realistically getting that. The only caveat is that there is no ligament damage.
If he looks good in August/September, he’ll still get that $400M.
Well, Detroit’s hottest car goes into the garage for repairs, and we are all hoping they can stay near .500 till the all star break. Catching the problem before a worse injury is fantastic. Montero, thank GOD for Montero. Congratulations to McGonigle for rookie of the month A.L. GO TIGERS !
The sad fact is that he’d have gone 7 with 12 K’s and no earned vs my beloved tonight even with bad arm!!!
First the dude at the Lost and Found won’t give him his New Era cap back, now this:(
Kidding aside, this stinks.
It’s the start of a new era
uh oh
Skubal taking care of Skubal without a long term deal in place. The injury has likely been there and for Skubal, he likely wants the elbow cleaned up before he enters free agency.
Back for the playoffs if the Tigers can keep pace. If they don’t, Skubal is coasting into the off season.
I can’t say I blame him for electing to have the surgery, if his contract negotiations didn’t go well this off season, dragging up to have the procedure now to stave off a more serious injury makes sense but his early performances suggest that he could have potentially pitched through the injury.
Tigers missed a big opportunity in not trading Skubal.
A big opportunity to not make the playoffs, you mean? You can’t just string your fans along by trading stars but never making it to the World Series. Cleveland and Tampa do this all the time. Good teams that make the playoffs, but no rings. Winning the World Series means taking chances, particularly for clubs that can’t run huge payrolls consistently.
Make a good trade. All signs point to Skubal testing free agency.
Boston might have come off Connelly Early or Payton Tolle.
Yankees might have come off Cam Schlittler or Will Warren.
Dodgers would have likely traded a huge stack. There had to be a big trade that would have sent Detroit one or two MLB ready pitching prospects. They’d have 32M in payroll to spend and could have easily signed Giolito. Valdez, Mize, JV, Flaherty, Melton, Montero, Jobe potentially, a signing or two, and prospects to trade at the deadline, seems like it could have been enough without Skubal.
Tigers likely pay him. That is the sense I get but if they dont they really missed the boat on a trade. I guess its possible at the deadline if the Tigers are out of contention.
May June July, back in August.
The Dodgers will get every big free agent they want. Nobody outbids them.
Dodgers might have offered two of the following 4 starting pitchers: Gavin Stone, River Ryan, Emmett Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski along with one (or two) of their top prospect outfielders (De Paula, Hope, Quintero, Tibbs III, Sirota) and either a young, bully arm or infielder such as Kim, Freeland or (in the minors) ss prospect Morales. Possibly a 4 or 5 for 1 deal.
Mets outbid the dodgers for Soto. Just saying.
Been posting similar things for awhile and agree.
Tigers Front Office may have missed a huge opportunity to trade Skubal for a truckload of young, cost controlled talent in the offseason or Spring Training.
His elbow had looked a bit bigger lately. I’m not sure how many loose bodies he was able to fit inside.
Loose bodies has become an epidemic recently.
This could work out well for the Tigers as long as he comes back in enough time to reach his top form. He would be stronger in the post-season with fewer innings pitched.
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!
I’ve been hoping this was the Tiger’s best chance for a World Series visit in a looong time. Now, not so much.
Perfect timing. Getting surgery now means he returns before the end of the season to show the big market teams that he is healthy before he hits free agency.
What could they have got for Tarik this offseason? 4-5 top 100 prospects? Something like Sheehan, Zhyir Hope, Jackson Ferris and Alex Freeland? Hopefully he can come back before Detroit misses the playoffs and pitch like his normal self
Dodgers wouldn’t have given that much up for him, knowing he’s a one year rental.
Boras is going to extract maximum $$$ from Skubal signing anywhere. Now trading for him before the deadline after he returns? Maybe, if he looks like himself.
Teams are not exactly willing to give up 4-5 top prospects for what could be a rental, or a guy they will have to pay 400-500 million. All teams have learned from their mistakes. You also need a few teams pressing hard -willing to take the chance they can sign him.
Dodgers would have given up a lot for Skubal because:
1) Attempting a “3 Peat”
2) Get the Inside track on signing him as a free agent by
having him on the team in ’26
3) The prices for star rental players have gone up, up, up
just like the sky rocketing arbitration raises and long term star players contracts.
I guess we’ll all find out together if the tigers aren’t competitive at the deadline.
In the AL Central??!
The Winner of that Division will only require
82-86 wins.
Tigers have young starters Kieder Montero and Rookies
Ty Madden who have looked impressive filling in for injured starters.
Verlander battled injuries in the 1st half last year
and then was a very effective starter for the SF Giants in the 2nd half. Framber Valdez is clearly a #1 Starter.
Get Mize back from the IL and Flaherty at the back end of that rotation
and the Tigers will be in the AL Central Division race all year.
Nobody is trading for Tarik Skubal. He will pitch only when it suites him. If that team makes the post season, Boris will keep him off the postseason roster like he did Stephen Strasburg.
An offseason or Spring Training deal for Skubal would have required a very strong package:
OFs De Paula or Hope
Pitchers Wrobleski (LHSP), Jackson Ferris (LHSP) and Emmit Sheehan(RHSP)
+ INF Morales or Freeland
+ PRBNL
That isn’t a good deal for the Dodgers. And the Dodgers don’t usually make bad deals these days.
There goes his free agency. One year minor league prove it deal. Lol.
With an invitation to Spring Training? Yeah, Boras is doing cartwheels over that one!
Should have traded him when they had the chance
I expected to see many more comments like this one. The chorus is yet to sound off…
Big Mistake by Tigers and Scott Harris(Not Trading Skubal in the offseason)
They truckload of talent that the Tigers could have landed for Skubal
in the offseason or during Spring Training would have fortified the Tigers rotation, OF and INF for the next 6+ years….
Tigers made it to game 5 of the ALDS and fought for the central title right down to the wire. The young talent they have is peaking, McGonigle is every bit as advertised, and Framber was just signed. They’re in 1st place right now. You don’t trade your 2x Cy Young winner when you’re in this position as an organization, even if he’s a pending free agent you know won’t come back.
Exactly. This isn’t fantasy baseball: there’s more than numbers at stake. Had Harris traded the team ace after two playoff runs, he would have lost the rest of the team. Other players would be looking to jump ship at the next opportunity.
Discussed elsewhere: If Tarik was already dealing with this last winter, there’s no guarantee he would have passed the physical if he had been traded. A high-risk proposition and it teases the question of “Who knew what, and when did they know it?”…
Harris going for that compensatory draft pick. So glad the Tigers have a shrewd GM.
Why you don’t just hand over 8 years -400 mil to pitchers
12 years and $325m seems to be working out though.
That’s true. Year two of twelve, so far so good.
Have a feeling Skubal not settling for 12 @ 325m
Thats small money 325. Skenes wont take that small money either. Boras tells Stevie C that Skuball can get him to the promised land and will guarantee the World Series. Stevie loses all self control and says Ill pay the most! This same issue can happen to Skenes as well, getting hurt.
He’s not getting 12 years but he will be the highest-paid pitcher by AAV even with this injury absence. More if he can hit contract backend incentives and less if he wants more opt-outs.
Skubal would be a huge upgrade for the Mets rotation.
Skubal, McLean and Peralta would line up with any and all playoffs teams rotations.
Skubal is expected to be back in two or three months. If he looks good, he may still get that $400M contract from someone.
2 Cy Youngs in a row for 400? You are dealing with Boras. He demands the cash. Not 400.
He is number 20 on the ERA leader list this season
Typical over rated pitcher not worth what Scott boras wants for him
Sooo, he’s getting an elbow cleanup that’s needed before he hits free agency, and is still #20 in era? Obviously overrated.
Those two Cy Young awards for being the best pitcher in the league the last two years? Obviously just Boras hype.
When he comes back and looks better than he has earlier in the season? Smoke and mirrors.
Boras wants the most a team will offer in years and money for his client. So I’m pretty sure he’ll get what he wants for him. Which is the most he can get.
I hope Boras can’t find his usual sucker
Like he did with Jordan Montgomery
Mike, what are you talking about?
Jordan Montgomery was fantastic for the Dodgers.
How much did they pay him
I never said he was on the Dodgers
Boras always finds a sucker. Somebody like Steven A Cohen who is in hiding and even his wife avoids social media.
So how was he fantastic for the dodgers ?
In 2024 he had a 6+ era for Arizona. Which was great for the Dodgers.
🙂
ADF:
Frazier is down! Frazier is down!
That seriously made me laugh out loud hard. Thank you.
Taijuan Walker is still available…..
He hurts the team.
But would save the Phillies about half a million.
If we agree that the Tigers cannot/will not fund his next contract then the timing, Skubal comes back after the trade deadline, sets up an interesting scenario.
A stacked guaranteed contender trades a prospects package to Detroit now.
Detroit gets best current value.
Contender gets a hella boost (maybe) in the playoffs.
Skubal, essentially, gets a 2 month pillow contract to catapult his massive free market contract.
I’ve been rooting against him winning another CY and also rooted for him to win another one. Didn’t see this coming, but his never really having complete seasons prior to 2024 and 2025 was a concern. I could see him still getting a big contract because Dodgers love signing starters who only need to pitch half season and then in playoffs. But maybe more teams will take that plan with starting rotation going forward.
This fits the Dodgers timeline perfectly. As well as Skubal/Boras
Trade for Skubal
Get fresh Skubal for playoffs
Win world series
Proves Skubal is healthy and ready to sign
Signs big contract
Yup, seems right. If Detroit is really in the playoff hunt when he returns, then he likely stays to see it through.
ADF:
With you on his value as a rental.
However, long term, I think his actual value to the Dodgers is less than his value to other big market contenders.
My reasoning is that Skubal’s value is the delta between his value and the value of the pitcher he replaces in the rotation.aka the teams current #4 or 5 starter.
The Dodgers are so stacked that the bottom of their rotation, Glasnow, Sasaki, etc wins in the playoffs.
By contrast, Skubal on board is life or death for other big ticket clubs that sputter in September or the first round. They should pay more than the Dodgers.
The difference is that the Dodgers view world series wins as life or death. And do everything they can to position themselves to do so.
I think if they can get him at the trade deadline it’s the best of both worlds for them. They get his arm for the postseason, and they get a real good look at his medicals, etc. Then they can either try and resign him before the lockout, wait until the be CBA is ratified to try and resign him, it not pursue him at that point.
ADF:
I think we are in agreement. The Dodgers trading for Skubal this year is a no brainer. After that it’s grandmaster chess time. Injuries, performance, CBA… everything becomes a factor.
In the end though I think other teams with plenty of cash and no championships are going to so grossly over pay that the Dodgers will just tip their hat and say good luck.
The Dodgers can show him all the recent World Series rings and a bunch of cash. They have it locked in. Skenes as well.
Probably too late for a Skubal deal this year.
Dodgers will want a big discount because of injury concerns.
Tigers will not take a “lowball” offer for Skubal.
Best time to deal for Skubal was the offseason or before the end of Spring Training.
That ship has sailed.
If they are out of contention at the deadline, getting anything better they a qo pick is a win.
And it’s justifiable to the fans who know he’s gone, and see it as a way to get someone of value for him while they can.
What a mess. The Tigers now have six starting pitchers on the IL: Olson, Jobe, Skubal, Melton, Mize and Verlander. More pitching chaos. 😕
Verlander is long washed up. He doesnt know it. Scherzer is another one.
Verlander was “money” for the SF Giants in the 2nd half last year.
Are the dodgers still gonna give him 400mil? At his 30 season. If anything in the CBA goes awry it could be his age 31 one season before he pitches. I think it’ll get it that point.
not limited just the dodgers, any team willing it shell out 400mil.
On a serious note I think it’s awful he’s hurt.
He will be fine. The Dodgers will give him a billion dollars, with 900 million deferred, to be paid out in 1 million dollar increments for the next 900 years, after LA perfects a full mind transfer device.
Too bad for the Tigers. That may hurt their post game chances. Trade Kenley to the Angels to recoup some of that cash.
Great job not trading him. We’ll lose him for nothing now, or get nothing for him in a trade.
They plan to compete with him and expect to only get a draft pick back for him. Its been the plan the whole time. Nothing has changed.
Thats the risk you take. Same for Pittsburgh.
Interesting thought.
If Skubal is unable to return this season, he could take the qualifying offer. Pitch next year and then become a “true” free agent after 2027.
I doubt he accepts a Q.O. for someone of his caliber. He’ll get a long-term deal regardless based on this relatively minor surgical procedure. It may hit his total guaranteed but it won’t stop him from signing a mega-contract.
If Michael King didn’t take the Padres QO last year there is a near 0% chance Skubal would do the same.
Keep in mind he’d be taking a 25-30% pay cut doing that. Plenty of teams would give him a lot more on a 1 year deal even if it meant giving up a draft pick.
Feel bad for the Tigers fans!! Can’t blame the team keeping him and wanting to compete for a title in 2026 and it stinks to have this happen.
Here’s hoping he comes back and deals in the 2nd half and playoffs!!
Hasn’t deterred the Dodgers before.
Damn. This sucks for the Tigers and Skubal. Was looking forward to him vying for another CYA.
Hope he comes back quickly and is back to old form!
This isn’t good for baseball. It really isn’t. If it wants to grow in popularity it needs to have its stars in full form.
Good thing there’s a lot of stars on Hollywood Boulevard, some you may know, others you never heard of…
Where are all the Skubal Deserves $32 million now?
I’m right here. He absolutely deserves his 32M this year. And yes, I’ll be happy for him when he gets his 400M for 8-10 years.
Only about 4 teams can afford large contract for an oft injured superstar. If he was like Maddux or kershaw in their prime, uninjured, he’d get 7/800. I think he’ll only get a Shane Bieber type two year contract at this point. One year IL, 2nd year major league starts
Deadline price just dropped….
Yeah-Dodgers or Yankees could trade 1 notable prospect and take attitude of just be ready for October, but other clubs aren’t going to bid him up more.
Dream on!
Tigers will not take low ball trade deals for Skubal.
His injury and comeback probably means that the Tigers are not trading Skubal.
Teams had their chance at Skubal in offseason and Spring Training.
Now, it is probably too late for a Skubal Trade.
Tigers are not falling out of the race( especially in the crowded AL Central).
They have young minor league starters waiting for their chance
like Ty Madden and others.
As great as Skubal has been, his prorated 32mil salary is a lot of dead money on IL for conservatively 3 months….and a pending FA like that will want to try to round into form enough upon return w/o doing additional damage to mess up what he hopes is a several hundred mil FA contract. Tigers are likely stuck hoping they can hang around in his absence. It’ll be challenging since Cleveland has a track record of winning more than its perceived roster talent.
Its going to be a good race this season. Tigers certainly can keep pace in the central without Skubal, but the Wild Card hedge takes a big hit.
Rough considering he’s in his walk year
LOL
Seriously!
Harris…go use some of that prospect capital if you want to make the playoffs. Get a pitcher and a bat. Who is underperforming and selling pieces off already? Houston, Boston, Phillies, Mets, Angels??? Trade deadline might be too late.
Hopefully Mize, Verlander and Melton are back sooner, rather than later.
I wonder how much that will impact Skubal’s earning power for next year (if at all).
Loose body’s! I saw that movie. It was naughty.
Loose bodies is not something that happens in the first few weeks of the season. Why didn’t he have this procedure in the off-season? The timing is odd. Almost assures Detroit gets nothing in return for Skubal. They probably should have traded him before the season. You cant let that much value just walk away for nothing.
If Skubal and his agent knew about the injury, then they should have disclosed it to the team and Doctors. If the Tigers knew about it, then the surgery should have been done in Oct-Nov 2025 so Skubal would be ready, healthy and able to pitch the entire season in 2026.
Lots of questions need to be answered!
Well, at least Montero is safe for a while.
Ty Madden looked great this evening!
He could be the next young Tigers starting star pitcher!
Yes he did. He was outstanding. Tigs have some promising arms – if they can stay healthy. That’s basically like everyone else in today’s game. Everyone is playing Russian Roulette when it comes to pitching.
Yup, yet another big 🪰 has dropped…
What the Friday is with the Tigers Front Office?!
It was a “No Brainer” in the offseason to send Skubal to the highest bidder in a blockbuser trade. Teams would have paid a package of 5 or more great young MLB players and almost major league ready top prospects with huge upside for a 2 Time Cy Young Winner even with only 1 year left of team control.
Tigers would have received 2-3 pitchers and, very likely, an OF and INF
and maybe even a PTBNL in the deal for Skubal. The pitchers received in an offseason Skubal deal could have slid right into the Tigers 2026 Starting Rotation ’26 and they would not even have missed a beat.
And, the Tigers team that came out of Spring Training WAS NOT A WORLD SERIES TEAM. And, the Chances of the Tigers resiging Skubal in Free Agency and paying him multiple hundeds of millions of dollars were always slim and none.
The Tigers Front Office was either “asleep at the wheel” regarding the Skubal situation, OR Teams were lowballing the Tigers on Skubal.
Either way, the Tigers cannot trade Skubal at the deadline for pennies on the dollar returns while injured. And, Skubal may not even be back in the Tigers Rotation until mid to late August.
Unless some of their young starters and minor league prospects step it up big time or the Tigers find a usuable free agent or trade candidate then Tigers season may be in jeapardy.
Tigers Rookie starter Ty Madden is looking for his big major league break and looked very impressive in tonights game!
Keider Montero is looking impressive in the Tigers rotation also.
Remember, Verlander fought off injuries in the 1st half for the SF Giants
last season,then he looked very good starting in the 2nd half.
So there is hope for Tigers fans.
This comes with a caveat!
If Skubal, his agent and/or the Tigers knew about his injury in the offseason, then it would have had to be disclosed to potential trading partners in the offseason.
If they did not know about the injury, then, if it was evident at that time, Xrays and/or an MRI would have revealed it in team physicals by trading partners and it may have affected his trade status.
Maybe, Skubal’s health statuswill be revealed to the press and public and maybe not
with his free agent and future contract status still working itself out.
Tigers should absolutely try to swing a trade for a starter, but I fear they’re going to wait until it’s too late.
At least they can trade Drew Anderson at the deadline he was basically Skubal in Korea last year that has to be the same right? All joking aside I would hope he gets the rotation spot despite a shaky start he is starting to look better and like the article mentioned his underlying stats look promising especially for a fill in starter.
sucks about Skubal for all of baseball.
I will also add that I too would have hip inflammation if I was Verlander and married to Mrs. Upton. Permanently.
🤣🤣🤣
… And let me add, would that mean that you would no longer be a hip shakin’ daddy? (with apologies to The Wolf) 🎶
Boras yelling Noooooooo! But seriously. He’s had two tjs and boras is the 60 day IL agent. No surprises
“He’s gone. Oh I. Oh I. I better learn to face it” – Hall after Oates left
Ask Degrom about his arm when he threw 100 for 7 innings a game every season. Especially for a guy who was a bum and couldnt touch 95 and then suddenly learns to throw 100 every pitch. Hmmm?
Gee….I hope everyone who liked those low-rent “depth” pitching acquisitions that Harris made last winter are still happy with their “depth” now….
You can already see the Yankees , Mets and Braves front offices, smiling ear to ear, preparing their lowball deadline offers. And if you say the Tigers won’t give in well, he walks away for nothing at the end of the season so that feeling of satisfaction of not being ripped off will be very, very short-lived.
By the time Skubal is ready, the Yankees will have (barring health) Cole, Fried, Rodon, Schlitter, Warren, Weathers, and Gil as starters. I don’t see them giving up the prospect capital for a rental in Skubal at the deadline. In the playoffs, they only need four starters at most.
For Skubal? Of course they would but as he would be a rental coming off a surgery, he probably would not require their top prospects. Of course the Yankee way is to always swindle a team with way overhyped prospects that never pan out so they might give up one legitimate prospect with some pretenders, but I don’t think the Tigers are gonna get top offers after . Everybody knows Detroit won’t give into his free agent demands.
YBC;
That is an excellent rotation to be sure.
So is Ohtani, Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow, Sasaki, etc
Either team is improved by adding a healthy Skubal and denying a healthy Skubal to the other team.
If one is in they may both be in. If the Tigers refuse a trade then both teams are certainly content to save their buds for the off season.
Fair points. My argument is that if both teams have a healthy staff, I don’t think the prospects required would be worth the marginal improvement. Other teams vying for a playoffs spot WILL NEED Skubal to get them there and can pay the cost.
YBC:
I agree. The Dodgers are on a Ripkin like Iron Man decades long run of deep playoff appearances.
They don’t need Skubal.
Other teams do.
Trevor Bauer
Tajuan Walker
Lou Trivino
Bauer, despite legally, proving (he actually has text to prove it ) he was not guilty of what he was accused of and having the law agree with him is nonetheless blackballed for life from baseball.
I’m tired of watching Detroit turn pitchers like Brayan Bello (7.44 ERA, 1.93 WHIP) into Cy Young.
“Meanwhile” should START the sentence, not come in the middle between commas.