DETROIT — Tarik Skubal underwent left elbow surgery to remove loose bodies on or shortly after May 4, 2026, casting uncertainty over his availability for the Detroit Tigers ahead of the August 3 trade deadline. The procedure, known as the 'NanoNeedle' surgery and nicknamed the 'Skubal scope,' followed a stretch in which the Tigers posted a 4-20 record after his injury.
Skubal, who has won the American League Cy Young Award in each of the last two seasons, is in his final year of club control and set to earn $32 million in 2026 via arbitration. He posted a 2.70 ERA in the starts he made before the May 4 injury. He is expected to return from surgery in mid-to-late June 2026.
The Tigers entered late May 2026 with a 22-37 record, tied for the worst in the American League, and had 15 players on the injured list. The team scored just 64 runs between May 4 and late May, the fewest in Major League Baseball during that span. Detroit reached the postseason in both 2024 and 2025.
FOX Sports MLB insider Ken Rosenthal said, "The outlook right now is rather bleak, and honestly, it’s difficult to imagine them making up a 14-game under .500 deficit, getting back to .500, and then contending even in a weak American League." He added, "As long as he is healthy again, teams are going to line up. And then the question becomes, are the Tigers willing? If the standings are that daunting, if the situation is that bleak, they’re going to have to listen."