2x Cy Young Award Winner Tarik Skubal’s Elbow Injury Sparks Mixed Reactions From Fans on Social Media

Tarik Skubal was pitching with a 2.70 ERA and had a 3-2 record in 7 starts this season.

2x Cy Young Award Winner Tarik Skubal’s Elbow Injury Sparks Mixed Reactions From Fans on Social Media

Tarik Skubal (Image via X/@TalkinBaseball_)

The Detroit Tigers suffered a major blow on Monday. The team will be without its ace pitcher, Tarik Skubal, following an elbow injury.

As per reports, the 2-time defending Cy Young Award winner will undergo surgery to remove loose bodies. This situation flared up on Sunday.

As of now, neither Skubal nor the Tigers have a definite timeline for his return. A typical timeline of recovery from such a surgery is usually 2-3 months. So Skubal could be sidelined from action until July-August.

This development comes at a time when the Tigers are having a mixed season. On Monday, the team lost 5-4 in the series opener against the Boston Red Sox. This snapped a 2-game winning run and put them 18-18 for the season.

Skubal, meanwhile, was once again in the race for the Cy Young Award. In 7 starts, the 29-year-old had a 3-2 record with a 2.70 ERA.

In his previous start against the Braves, he threw 7 innings and gave up 2 runs on 5 hits. It was in this game that he initially had the injury scare.

The American international was expected to start the game on Monday. He was later scratched from the lineup after the injury flared up during the action on Sunday.

I thought I was progressing in a very positive manner. Yesterday’s catch play just didn’t really go great, which led to getting scans and getting the information.

Tarik Skubal said as per MLB.com

In 2017, the left-handed pitcher underwent Tommy John surgery while he was in college at Seattle University. This setback saw him fall to ninth in the 2018 draft.

In August 2022, he had another surgery. This time, he went under the knife to repair a flexor tendon in his left forearm and was sidelined for 11 months.

RELATED
Aaron Judge Delivers Heartfelt Message After Emotional Yankees Win Following John Sterling’s Death

Social media is in splits after Tarik Skubal’s latest injury

Tarik Skubal will be out of action for a while following an elbow injury. This development sparked mixed reactions from fans on social media.

Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal (Image via X/@MLBNetwork)

Earlier this year, Skubal stunned the baseball world by announcing that he would step away from Team USA after his start against Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The southpaw expressed that he would return to the Tigers’ training camp and start preparing for the 2026 season, and avoid getting injured.

With one month into the new season, Skubal is now injured. Some fans on social media brought this up and slammed him again for leaving his country during the WBC. There were some, though, who wished him well while expressing sorrow for the team.

Check out some of the fan reactions regarding his injury below:

This injury also comes at a time when Skubal is in the final year of his contract. The player will become a free agent at the end of the 2026 campaign and can explore other options.

RELATED
Yankees Opting Anthony Volpe to Triple-A Has Fans Losing It on Social Media: “Miracles Do Happen”

Will the elbow injury affect Tarik Skubal’s free agency?

The one thing Tarik Skubal wanted this year was to remain healthy. Unfortunately, the pitcher will be on the injured list following a recent elbow injury. The big question now is, will this injury affect his free agency?

Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal (Image via Marca)

Before this injury, Skubal was expected to land the biggest contract ever offered to a pitcher. At the moment, Yoshinobu Yamamoto holds the record for this. After the 2023 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers landed the Japanese international on a 12-year, $325 million deal.

Skubal was projected to land a contract worth around $400 to $500 million. This would see him surpass the record of Yamamoto.

According to reports from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, a National League executive believes the worth of Skubal’s contract will depend on how he pitches after he returns from this injury.

It depends on if he comes back and pitches. And pitches effectively.

A NL executive said regarding Tarik Skubal as per Mark Feinsand

Skubal’s injury is another setback for the Tigers’ pitching rotation. Starters Casey Mize, Justin Verlander, Reese Olson, and Jackson Jobe are all on the injured list. It will be interesting to see how the AL Central side deals with these blows and how Skubal’s free agency saga pans out.

Also Read: