Tarik Skubal Gives Injury Update, Tigers Return Timeline Amid Elbow Injury Rehab

Detroit Tigers star ace Tarik Skubal appears confident that he'll be back on the mound soon.

Skubal will throw a bullpen on Wednesday before possibly returning against the Cleveland Guardians this weekend.

"I expect everything to go well tomorrow, and hopefully I'm back," Skubal said.

Skubal underwent a NanoScope surgery on May 6 to remove a loose body in his pitching elbow. The reigning Cy Young Award winner was expected to miss two to three months when it was first revealed that he needed surgery, but the specific type of procedure he had is designed to reduce the recovery period.

Just two weeks after the procedure, Skubal told reporters that he was symptom-free and was able to throw a full bullpen session.

Last week, Skubal made a rehab start for High-A West Michigan, where he pitched five scoreless innings, striking out six and allowing two hits. He threw 45 strikes on 54 pitches, with his fastball topping out at 98 mph.

"There are game situations that should be really easy for a big leaguer," Tigers manager A.J Hinch told reporters. "But it's just getting back into game mode. It's just different than a sim game. The sim game, part of it is physical skill-building, a physical return to play. The mental aspect, the competitive aspect, the bad call, error behind you, there's things you can't simulate in practice. And it's not Spring Training."

Before the injury, Skubal had recorded a 2.70 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP, posting a 3-2 record in seven starts.

His return would obviously be a welcome site, especially with all the other injuries Detroit has faced this year. Recently, the Tigers lost starter Casey Mize to a right adductor inflammation and closer Kenley Jansen to a groin injury.

"I've never had a team that's faced this [many] injury struggles," Hinch said last week. "When you lose half your team at some point, it doesn't feel good. It doesn't look good. We're always searching for answers, but we're never going to use it as an excuse. Is it part of it? Of course it is."

The Tigers will have their work cut out for them once Skubal is back on the mound. They're currently sitting at 27-39, 5.5 games back in the wild card race.