Tarik Skubal, the two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner, will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, the Detroit Tigers announced May 4. No timetable for his return has been set, but a two-to-three-month recovery is typical for this type of procedure. That would potentially have the 29-year-old ace out of the rotation until sometime in July or August.
What are loose bodies? About the Tarik Skubal injury
Loose bodies are fragments of bone, cartilage or both that have broken off and float freely inside a joint. In a pitcher’s elbow, they are typically caused by the extreme stress of throwing. The violent snapping motion of releasing a pitch, repeated thousands of times over a career, causes bone and cartilage to chip away. It usually comes from the back of the elbow. Those fragments can move around the joint, causing locking, catching, pain and loss of range of motion.
It’s not an uncommon injury for pitchers. Skubal himself has had significant elbow problems before, including Tommy John surgery in 2017 and flexor tendon surgery in 2022. This procedure is generally considered less serious than either of those.
How serious is Tarik Skubal’s upcoming surgery?
Arthroscopic surgery is minimally invasive. Surgeons insert a small camera and instruments into the joint through tiny incisions to locate and remove the fragments. Recovery varies widely by each pitcher. Atlanta’s Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both had loose body surgery this spring within days of each other. Schwellenbach was placed on the 60-day IL and still had not thrown two months later. Waldrep was throwing bullpen sessions within weeks. Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz had the surgery in April and is expected to miss about four months.
Skubal’s situation will be clearer once he consults with doctors and schedules the procedure.
1 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
(Salaries in present-day value calculated by MLB Labor Relations Department, impacted by deferrals and signing bonuses)
1. Juan Soto, Mets – $61,875,000
1 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
(Salaries in present-day value calculated by MLB Labor Relations Department, impacted by deferrals and signing bonuses)
1. Juan Soto, Mets – $61,875,000
2 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
2. Cody Bellinger, Yankees – $42,500,000
3 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
3. Bo Bichette, Mets – $42 million
4 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
3. Zack Wheeler, Phillies – $42 million
5 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays – $40,214,286
6 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
6. Aaron Judge, Yankees – $40 million
7 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
7. Anthony Rendon, Angels – $38,571,429
8 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
8. Jacob deGrom, Rangers – $38 million
9 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
9. Mike Trout, Angels – $37,116,667
10 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
10. Gerrit Cole, Yankees – $36,000,000
11 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
11. Jose Altuve, Astros – $33 million
12 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
11. Kyle Tucker, Dodgers – $33 million
13 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
13. Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers – $32,500,000
14 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
14. Francisco Lindor, Mets – $32,477,277
15 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
15. Tarik Skubal, Tigers – $32 million
16 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
16. Carlos Correa, Astros – $31,500,000
17 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
16. Corey Seager, Rangers – $31,500,000
18 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
18. Sonny Gray, Red Sox – $31 million
19 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
19. Corbin Burnes, Diamondbacks – $30,790,069
20 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
20. Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees – $29 million
21 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
21. Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers – $28,536,643
22 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
22. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers – $28,206,684
23 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
23. Dansby Swanson, Cubs – $28 million
24 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
24. Carlos Rodon, Yankees – $27,833,333
25 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
25. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (*retired) – $27,814,045
26 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
26. Bryce Harper, Phillies – $27,538,462
27 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
27. Trea Turner, Phillies – $27,272,727
28 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
28. Blake Snell, Dodgers – $27,152,056
29 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
29. Kris Bryant, Rockies – $27 million
30 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
30. Yordan Alvarez, Astros – $26,833,333
Bottom line: Tarik Skubal injury will cost Tigers ace time in contract year
There were warning signs. In his last start, Skubal shook his left arm mid-inning, grabbed his forearm and called catcher Dillon Dingler to the mound. He stayed in and finished seven innings and told reporters on May 3 he felt fine going through his between-starts routine. Later that day, however, Skubal told manager A.J. Hinch something had flared up. He underwent imaging where the loose bodies were identified.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal throws against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning at Truist Park.
It’s obviously a blow for the Tigers, but also one for Skubal. He is in the final year of his contract and expected to command one of the largest pitching deals in baseball history this offseason. The injury adds uncertainty to that picture heading into what should have been a showcase season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tarik Skubal’s elbow surgery explained: what are loose bodies?
