Skubal (3-3) was tagged with the loss Saturday against the Guardians after allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk across 4.2 innings. He struck out four and hit a batter.
Skubal tied his shortest outing of the season in his first taste of major-league action since April 29. The superstar southpaw was limited to 80 pitches (53 strikes) after missing around six weeks due to loose bodies in his elbow, and it remains to be seen how long it'll take him to rediscover his dominant form after he was the first pitcher to undergo surgery using a nanoneedle that significantly reduced his recovery time. He had a 2.70 ERA and 0.95 WHIP across 43.1 innings prior to being shut down. His next start is set to come at home against a White Sox offense that has been one of the most productive in the American League in recent weeks.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Activated ahead of start
Rotowire
The Tigers reinstated Skubal (elbow) from the injured list ahead of his start Saturday against Cleveland, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Skubal's start Saturday will mark his first outing since April 29 following a lightning-fast recovery from a procedure to remove loose bodies in his elbow. He made one rehab start at High-A West Michigan during his recovery but threw just 54 pitches, so he'll likely be working under a pitch count while taking on the Guardians. Ty Madden was optioned to Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Confirmed to return Saturday
Rotowire
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch confirmed Thursday that Skubal (elbow) will rejoin the rotation Saturday in Cleveland, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
All told, Skubal will have been sidelined only 38 days after having surgery in early May to remove a loose body from his left elbow. The left-hander was excellent in his lone rehab start, striking out six over five scoreless frames for High-A West Michigan on Sunday. Skubal threw only 54 pitches in that outing, so he will be relatively limited from a workload perspective against the Guardians.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Completes four-inning sim game
Rotowire
Skubal (elbow) worked four innings in a simulated game Monday at Tropicana Field, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Unofficially, Skubal allowed two hits and one walk and struck out six batters while inducing 10 swings and misses on 64 pitches (45 strikes). The workload marked a substantial increase from Skubal's previous sim game last Tuesday, when he tossed 39 pitches over 2.2 innings. Though manager A.J. Hinch previously indicated that the Tigers were expecting Skubal complete a third sim game during the upcoming weekend, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News suggests that Detroit could nix that plan and instead have the two-time Cy Young Award winner head out on a minor-league rehab assignment. The Tigers will wait and see how Skubal bounces back from Monday's sim game before deciding his next step, but if the southpaw is cleared to join a minor-league affiliate, he may need just one start before returning from the 15-day injured list and slotting back into the Detroit rotation.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Next simulated game Monday
Rotowire
Skubal (elbow) will throw another simulated game Monday at Tropicana Field, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Skubal tossed 39 pitches over 2.2 innings in a simulated game Tuesday and will build up further Monday. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Thursday that Skubal's next throwing session after Monday's will occur June 7. Woodbery speculates that it could line Skubal up to make a rehab start June 12 before rejoining the Tigers' rotation June 17 in Houston, though nothing is official on that front at this point.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Another bullpen session Thursday
Rotowire
Skubal (elbow) threw a successful 35-pitch bullpen session Thursday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
It's at least the third time he's thrown from the mound since he had surgery just over two weeks ago to remove a loose body from his elbow. Skubal upped the intensity of his throwing Thursday and was able to reach the velocity goal he set prior to the session. The two-time Cy Young winner continues to make rapid progress and should be cleared to face hitters soon.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Resumes mound work
Rotowire
Skubal (elbow) is slated to throw a bullpen session Monday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Skubal will throw off a mound for the second time since he had surgery May 6 to remove a loose body from his left elbow. The left-hander appears on pace to rejoin the Tigers rotation sometime in June if all continues to go well, though he still has numerous boxes he needs to check. Skubal posted a 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 45:6 K:BB over 43.1 innings covering seven starts before getting hurt.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Resumes playing catch
Rotowire
Skubal (elbow) has resumed playing catch, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Skubal is barely more than a week removed from surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow, so it's remarkable that he's already throwing. The procedure was performed with a nanoneedle, which significantly reduced post-surgical swelling in the joint and could shorten the timeline for Skubal's return from two-plus months to just six weeks if all goes well. A return date for the two-time AL Cy Young winner should come into focus in the coming weeks as he ramps up his throwing progression.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Fans seven in no-decision
Rotowire
Skubal allowed two runs on five hits and struck out seven without walking a batter over seven innings in a no-decision versus Atlanta on Wednesday.
Skubal gave up a two-run home run to Ozzie Albies in the first inning, but the star southpaw settled down after that. That was just the second homer Skubal's given up all season, and it's just the third time in seven starts he's been tagged for multiple runs. Detroit's ace has a 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 45:6 K:BB across 43.1 innings this season. He's lined up for a home start against the Red Sox early next week, which positions him for a potential two-start week.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Stumbles in the seventh
Rotowire
Skubal did not factor into the decision Thursday against the Brewers, allowing four runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out five over six innings.
Skubal held Milwaukee to just one run in his first six innings but ran into trouble in the seventh, when he allowed three straight hits without recording an out. It's just the second time this season that Skubal's given up more than one earned run in a start. His ERA sits at 2.72 with a 0.99 WHIP and 38:6 K:BB across six outings (36.1 innings). Skubal tentatively lines up to face Atlanta on the road his next time out.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Idle Saturday
Rotowire
Dingler is not in the Tigers' starting lineup against the Red Sox on Saturday.
Dingler will take a breather after going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in Friday's extra-inning loss to Boston. Jake Rogers will start behind home plate and bat ninth while catching pitches from Tarik Skubal.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Falls apart in fifth frame
Rotowire
Skubal (1-2) took the loss against the Twins on Tuesday, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out seven across 4.2 innings.
Skubal opened things up by striking out four of the first seven batters he faced. He kept the Twins off the board through four frames, but things fell apart for the reigning AL Cy Young winner in the fifth, when he yielded four runs on three hits and two walks before being pulled. Skubal gave up just one earned run through his first two starts of the season, so Tuesday's outing can be considered a blip on the radar for the 29-year-old southpaw. He still generated 19 whiffs while recording 65 strikes on 95 pitches (68.4 percent). Skubal's next start is tentatively slated for this weekend at home against the Marlins.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Kicks off season with victory
Rotowire
Skubal (1-0) earned the win over San Diego on Thursday, allowing one unearned run on three hits and no walks while striking out six batters over six innings.
Skubal already had a 4-0 lead when he took the mound in the bottom of the first inning, and the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner never let the Padres get back into the game. He didn't yield a run until the sixth frame, and that came about only after a fielding error behind him. Skubal tossed 49 of 74 pitches for strikes and racked up 11 whiffs while cruising toward a season-opening victory. It was a major improvement upon his start to 2025, when he went 0-2 in his first two outings and gave up seven runs over 10.2 frames. Skubal is tentatively slated to make his second start next Wednesday in Arizona.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Strikes out seven in return to camp
Rotowire
Skubal allowed one run on three hits across 4.2 innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays. He struck out seven.
After making just one appearance for the United States in the World Baseball Classic, Skubal returned to the Grapefruit League and looked sharp in his latest tune-up. The lefty now has a 2.79 ERA and 12 strikeouts across 9.2 innings this spring, and he also allowed one run over three innings with five strikeouts for Team USA. Skubal has been named Detroit's starter for Opening Day on March 26 against the Padres.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Returning to Tigers after WBC start
Rotowire
Skubal said Monday that he will return to Tigers camp rather than make another start for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Skubal permitted one run over three innings against Team Great Britain on Saturday. He was mulling whether to remain with Team USA to make another start, but Skubal will instead rejoin the Tigers after the lone WBC outing, which was his original intention. Skubal threw 41 pitches in his start for Team USA and will continue to build his stamina with the Tigers before taking the ball for them Opening Day on March 26 versus the Padres.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Set for WBC start Saturday
Rotowire
Skubal is set to start for the United States against Great Britain on Saturday in the World Baseball Classic, which will be his only start in the tournament, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.
It was previously reported that Skubal would appear only once during WBC pool play, and that start is now scheduled for the United States' second game. The southpaw should have an advantage against a Great Britain squad that doesn't have a ton of high-end MLB talent, but it remains to be seen how long he'll be asked to go into the contest. Following the WBC, Skubal is slated to return to Detroit's camp as he prepares for his Opening Day start against the Padres on March 26.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Wins second AL Cy Young Award
Rotowire
Skubal was named the winner of the 2025 American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The 28-year-old lefty didn't receive all 30 first-place votes like he did in 2024, with four votes going to Garrett Crochet, but Skubal will still take home the award for a second consecutive season. He set career bests in ERA (2.21), WHIP (0.89), strikeouts (241) and innings (195.1) while making 31 starts for a second straight regular season.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Fans 13 in ALDS finale
Rotowire
Skubal didn't factor into the decision in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Mariners on Friday, giving up one earned run on two hits while striking out 13 batters across six innings. He did not issue a walk.
Outside of a second-inning double from Josh Naylor, which later resulted in a run, the Mariners were helpless to get any sort of offense going against Skubal. By striking out 13 batters Friday, the 28-year-old lefty tied the MLB record for most punchouts with no walks in a postseason game, and he became the first pitcher in MLB history to record multiple 13-strikeout performances in the same postseason. The Tigers were unable to come away with the win after 15 innings, however, so Skubal will now shift his focus to next season and is likely to repeat as one of the top fantasy performers in the sport in 2026.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Fans 14 in Game 1 masterpiece
Rotowire
Skubal yielded only one run on three hits and three walks while striking out 14 over 7.2 innings to pick up the win in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over the Guardians.
The Guardians managed to scratch together a run in the bottom of the fourth inning despite not hitting the ball out of the infield, and Skubal also walked the light-hitting Austin Hedges twice. He was otherwise in complete control, regularly topping 100 mph with his fastball and inducing 26 swinging strikes on 107 pitches. The left-hander's 14 strikeouts tied a Tigers postseason record. If the Tigers advance to the ALDS to play the Mariners, Skubal would likely start Game 2 on Sunday.
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Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Fans eight in loss
Rotowire
Skubal (13-6) allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks over six innings Tuesday, striking out eight and taking a loss against Cleveland.
Skubal rolled through five shutout frames before things unraveled in the sixth inning. The Guardians tallied just two infield singles, but an error and several other mistakes -- including a wild pitch and a balk -- allowed three runs to cross home. Still, Skubal delivered his sixth quality start in his last seven appearances. During that stretch, he's produced a 1.80 ERA with a 54:12 K:BB through 50 innings. For the year, the superstar southpaw owns a 2.21 ERA and a 241:33 K:BB across 195.1 innings. Skubal may start this weekend in Boston if necessary; if the Tigers have already secured a playoff spot by that point, they may elect to save him for the postseason.
