Tigers manager A.J. Hinch provided reporters with some updates on injured players today. Most notably, Hinch says that ace Tarik Skubal will make a rehab appearance on Sunday. That will take place with High-A West Michigan instead of Triple-A due to the weather forecast. If all goes well, he could rejoin the big league club after that. Hinch also said that infielder Trey Sweeney underwent season-ending arthroscopic right shoulder surgery. Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group and Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic were among those to pass along the info.
It’s a remarkable turnaround timeline for Skubal, who just underwent surgery to remove a loose body in his elbow a month ago. A procedure like that would normally come with a timeline about three months, if not more.
Skubal was the first MLB player to have surgery performed with a tool called a NanoNeedle, which some are now calling a SkubalScope. Basically, it’s like other arthroscopes but smaller. The reduced size and smaller incision theoretically leads to less pain and swelling, which hopefully leads to a quicker recovery time.
Based on how things have gone for Skubal, the theory appears to be holding true, at least so far. He began throwing less just over a week after going the procedure. Less than three weeks after going under the knife, he threw a three-inning sim game. If the next steps go smoothly, he could be back with the Tigers less than six weeks from the operation.
Though it’s a great development for Skubal, the impacts are potentially broader than that. Cutting the recovery time in half for a common injury could have all kinds of positive ramifications for the pitchers and the sport. Though of course, it still remains to be seen if all will go according to plan in the next few weeks. It’s also unclear if all pitchers will be this lucky. Blake Snell underwent surgery in the middle of May, using the NanoNeedle, to remove multiple loose bodies from his elbow. The Dodgers quickly put him on the 60-day injured list, so that club expects Snell’s timeline to be at least two months.
Time will tell on whether the medical aspect is a game-changer or not. For now, it’s huge for baseball and the 2026 season. The Tigers were 18-17 and tied with the Guardians atop the American League Central when news of Skubal’s surgery was revealed. Since then, they have gone into a bad slump and fallen to 25-38, with the Angels the only A.L. club with a worse record.
Thanks to widespread struggles among A.L. clubs, the playoff race is still wide open. The Tigers are only 5.5 games back of the Athletics and Rangers, who are tied for the last Wild Card spot with records of 30-32. Getting Skubal back into the rotation so quickly will be a big boost to the Tigers as they try to climb back into the mix.
If Detroit can’t gain ground in that race, then Skubal will be the most talked-about player ahead of the trade deadline. There have already been whispers about Skubal trade possibilities for a long time, since he is an impending free agent and doesn’t seem likely to sign an extension. An offseason trade never made much sense from the team’s perspective since they have been in win-now mode for a few years, though their recent skid has made the possibility seem much more realistic.
Combine all those factors and Skubal should be in the spotlight in the coming weeks and months. Him coming back healthy and pitching like his old self will obviously be important. The club’s record will also be closely watched by fans in Detroit and elsewhere.
Given the magnitude of the decision, the front office will presumably try to delay picking a lane as long as possible. If Detroit gets into playoff position or falls further back, the choice will become easier. If they stay a few games out of a playoff spot, that’s a much tougher call. The Tigers know well that a lot can happen in a short amount of time. In 2024, Detroit was 10 games out of a playoff spot in the middle of August but got red hot to make it in. Last year, the Tigers had a 15.5-game lead on the Guardians in July but saw Cleveland storm back to take the division.
In addition to Skubal, the Tigers have Casey Mize, Justin Verlander, Jackson Jobe and Reese Olson on the IL. Olson is done for the season due to shoulder surgery. Jobe had Tommy John surgery a year ago and could perhaps be a factor in a few months. Verlander is dealing with hip inflammation and Mize a groin strain. Verlander made a five-inning rehab start on Tuesday, so he and Skubal could both be back soon. Mize could be a bit behind them, potentially starting a rehab assignment soon.
The Tigers are currently running a four-man rotation consisting of Framber Valdez, Keider Montero, Jack Flaherty and Troy Melton, with Ty Madden and Enmanuel De Jesus in multi-inning relief roles.
If everyone stays healthy while Skubal, Verlander and Mize get back in the mix, it could lead to some tricky decisions about that group. Flaherty has the highest earned run average of the bunch at 5.31. He hasn’t been helped by a .333 batting average on balls in play and 64.1% strand rate, so his 4.40 FIP and 4.18 SIERA are much more encouraging. Given his veteran status and hefty salary, it might be tough to move him to the bullpen. Montero, Melton, Madden and De Jesus all have options and could be sent to the minors, if that’s what the club decides.
Sweeney began the season on the 10-day IL due to a shoulder strain. He was moved to the 60-day IL in the second week of April, suggesting the Tigers didn’t expect him back soon. Presumably, he and the club were exploring non-surgical options but hit a wall with those pursuits and 2026 will go down as an entirely lost season for him. He’ll continue to collect big league pay and service time while on the IL.
The Tigers are without Sweeney and Javier Báez in their middle infield group at the moment. Kevin McGonigle is playing both shortstop and third base, with Zack Short covering short when McGonigle is at the hot corner. Gleyber Torres was also on the IL for a while but recently returned to take over second base. Jace Jung, Hao-Yu Lee, Trei Cruz and Gage Workman are on the 40-man but currently on optional assignment. Torres is a free agent at season’s end, so the second base job is up for grabs in 2027.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas,Imagn Images
And then traded the start after that
Someone would have to desperately blow Det away (for a rental no less) to deal him a full month ahead of deadline. Mets and Dodgers don’t really need him this year and can wait for FA period.
What team do you think can afford/would take the leap to give up a couple legit prospects for half a season only to have a Goliath acquire him after likely lockout?
I was mostly joking (especially with the start after that bit). However, if the Tigers feel like this is a lost season by July, they don’t necessarily have to be blown away. The same logic you cite applies to the Tigers–they have no intention of signing him, so instead of just hanging on for half a season, may as well get something decent for him besides a comp pick.
If an arm like Skubal becomes available, I don’t know if there’s a team that doesn’t really need him. You can argue you can make a bigger upgrade elsewhere in terms of need, but id be shocked if teams who have the prospect capital to acquire him like the Dodgers or Mets didn’t make a serious run at acquiring him.
They will trade him to Atlanta… Ok probably not.
But Skubal and Sale would be a strong 1 and 2 in the playoffs
That would be the inverse of the Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz trade. Atlanta would have to give up a great prospect for a short-term boost from Skubal. Not sure AA is wired for that type of trade. He did trade Shea Langeliers so there is some precedent as he was able to secure Matt Olson with an extension. An extension for Skubal is a lot more money than AA has offered anyone in Atlanta.
I can see Atlanta going all in for another World Series, but does Atlanta really want to give up Ritchie and Waldrep/AJSS plus someone else for a rental? It’s going to take at least two of those prospects plus more.
Not that much. A prospect in the MLB top 50 and a team prospect in the 10-20 range, maybe two of those depending on how Detroit values the top prospect.
that was insanely quick
boras probly pressuring tarik “the sooner you return the more $ we’ll both make in the offseason. nobody’s going to pay for an injured pitcher. now get back out there!”
Rushing back is not helpful though. The best plan would be to make sure he’s 100% before stepping back on mound with enough time left in the season to get it in least 5 or so starts to prove his health. If I’m Skubal, I don’t care about the trade deadline. That’s for the Tigers to worry about.
Nobody controls Skubal like that, not even Boras. Skubal is a very smart dude. He knows not to risk receiving one of the biggest paydays in sports history by returning too soon. Skubal WANTS to come back and pitch for the Tigers when he’s healthy, which he feels is now.
The biggest story here to me is that this new nanoscopic procedure seems like a career-saver if a guy can be back in the lineup basically a month after surgery. Granted, it wasn’t Tommy John or anything but this healing timeline is incredible.
Did you mean season-saver?
Before declaring this procedure a game changer, let’s see the long term effects.
Between the Tigers wanting to get the most out of him in a trade and Boras wanting him to come THIS close to ripping that tendon completely off the bone so he can secure a massive free agent contract, I fear for Skubal’s health at this point.
For teams wanting to trade for Skubal at the deadline….buyer beware!
Zyhir Hope, River Ryan, Jackson Ferris and Emmett Sheehan. Bye-bye.
All that for a Boras rental? You are smoking some good stuff. Maybe a haul like that could have been had last year. Not this year. They keep all those prospects, ride with what they got this year and pick him up FA next year
One of those guys, Ryan Ward and Adam Serwinowski.
Nope. Assuming they’re healthy in October, the Dodgers already have 4 top line starters for the playoffs. And Skubal is no guarantee to be healthy himself.
The Dodgers need to hang on to their young prospects so they can restock and replace the aging players they have the roster right now.
I think he winds up with the Blue Jays by default. The best return will obviously be from the Dodgers who have an outstanding farm system, but they are not trading their top prospects to anybody. That’s just the organizations philosophy. In fact, they hold onto them too long in many situations until they are devalued and they have to trade them away for cheap,so in my mind that rules them , they much prefer free agency to have the money to get whoever they want. unless tigers are willing to take a couple of potential stars and some single A guys he’s not going to LA. if anything, the tigers are gonna make the Dodgers pay more than anybody else so it’s not a match..
The Yankees don’t have a lights out farm system and teams have learned over the years how overhyped their minor leagues are and been burned with the exception of Michael King. Still the Yankees have the money if they want to spend it, but that’s a dicey situation with. Hal Steinbrenner he does fit in with Cashman’s idea that great starting pitching and guys who hit lots of home runs is all you need but I don’t see the prospect match. I don’t think Volpe or Dominguez gets it done.
Blue Jays farm system is not on fire, but they may be the only team on there unafraid to trade whatever prospects Detroit would want and has the ability to extend his contract immediately if he agrees to it. I can see them, throwing in a few major leaders as well Which they might have to do to get it done.
I don’t see the Cubs or Braves willing to spend that kind of money and give up assets at the same time for what would be a rental for them. The Phillies could be a team lying and wait but again not singing the fit for what the tigers would want from a farm system and it’s not 100% the Phillies would go to the financial extremes required.
There should be no way in hell the Padres can get this done but every time I think they can’t pull off a needle moving trade, they find a way to do it. How many times over the last five years have you heard that their farm system is now empty after they make a trade only to see them make a trade later season from it?
Give it six weeks and see how Skubal and the Tigers perform. It might come down to whether the Tigers are willing to miss a chance at a low end playoff spot in exchange for a few prospects that might vault them much higher in 2028.
Nobody is calling it a SkubalScope. I’ve been out and about and haven’t heard anyone say that.
Detroit went all-in on this season, knowing they could pivot at the Aug. trade deadline if out of contention. Despite how much Jon Heyman and little Kenny Rosenthal want Skubal to be traded to NYY, Boston or LA, the Tigers have almost 2 months to right the ship. If teams are interested, they can submit offers in the interim.
The likes of Heyman and Rosenthal think Detroit should initiate trade talks and call around and beg for a crust of bread for one of the most desirable pitchers in MLB. A lot can happen in 2 months. This Tigers team is a perfect example.
I don’t understand on Sweeney and Reese Olson why the Tigers went months on the DL before they decided to do season ending surgery so now neither will be available for all of 2026? If Skubal’s rehab assignment goes well you will have to look at what offers you have compared to what he can do for Detroit.