Tarik Skubal's Return Timeline Is Major Win for MLB In General

The baseball world got some good news on Thursday afternoon.

Two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal underwent surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow and Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported that the surgery went well enough that he realistically could return to the mound in 4-to-6 weeks for Detroit.

"Tarik Skubal's elbow surgery was such a success he could start working out within days, and two months is even seen as a conservative estimate for the 2-time Cy Young winner to return. 4 to 6 weeks possible. One relatively small loose body was removed," Heyman wrote.

When it was initially reported that Skubal would be on the shelf, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the expectation was that he would miss two or three months.

Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball when he's healthy. That's why he has two straight Cy Young Awards under his belt. He led the American League in ERA over the last two years with a 2.39 ERA in 31 starts in 2024 and then a 2.21 ERA in 31 starts in 2025. He racked up 31 wins across the last two seasons, led the American League in WAR by a pitcher in both years, and led the league in strikeouts in 2024 with 228. The next season, he actually had more with 241 in 2025, but he didn't lead the league.

So far in 2026, he's been equally excellent. Skubal made seven starts before his surgery and had a 2.70 ERA and a 45-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 43 1/3 innings pitched.

Tarik Skubal Is The AL's Best Pitcher

Apr 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

With Skubal potentially returning in as little as 4-to-6 weeks, that means baseball could have its best hurler back early in the summer. When Skubal pitches, it's appointment viewing, whether you're a Tigers fan or not. So, him returning to the mound on the sooner side is better for the game in general than him being on the Injured List.

The Tigers as a team need him as they are struggling at 18-20 after being swept in a three-game series by the Boston Red Sox.

On the Cy Young Award front, an extended absence on the Injured List won't be great for Skubal at the end of the season when people vote on the league awards. Cam Schlittler of the New York Yankees has a 1.52 ERA, which is second in all of baseball behind just Shohei Ohtani. He also has a 5-1 record and 53 strikeouts.

Gavin Williams of the Cleveland Guardians has a 3.28 ERA and is tied for the league lead with 60 strikeouts. José Soriano of the Los Angeles Angels is another hurler who has been excellent so far this season. For Skubal, it's going to be hard for him to make up the ground, but it's not impossible if he can return in four weeks.

Plus, Skubal is going to be a free agent after the season. If he returns early and continues to pitch well, he should get a historic deal. That would be good for pitchers all across baseball in the open market.

All in all, Skubal's potential early return is good for the game of baseball.

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