Tigers Ace Tarik Skubal Gives Optimistic Outlook on Scary Looking Injury
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The Detroit Tigers are collectively holding their breath after an injury update on Friday night which seemed like quite possibly the worst possible scenario at the worst possible time was brewing in the Motor City.
For the first time in his career, Tigers ace Tarik Skubal pulled himself out of a start after grabbing his left side and looking to be in some real discomfort. Skubal of course is just two weeks away from almost assuredly locking up his second consecutive American League Cy Young, but obviously most importantly, a significant injury to him dramatically changes the team's outlook this October.
The big left-hander was sent for evaluation and imaging after being described by the team as dealing with tightness in that left side, and now fans will be waiting all weekend on the edge of their seat for some sort of definitive update.
AL Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal left the game due to injury after reaching for the left side of his body after throwing a pitch pic.twitter.com/LTIZtiRC43
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 13, 2025
For as devastating as a potential serious injury to Skubal would be, the ace gave an update to the media after the game and expressed as much optimism as he possibly could given the instant doom and gloom.
Skubal Explains Exactly What He Felt, Gives Outlook
"Some tightness," he said via Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic on X (formerly Twitter) when explaining what he felt. "Certain things happen during the game where you feel some things and they come and go during the game. This was one that didn't really go away, and that was what prompted me to call for A.J. and a trainer, obviously. Just wasn't very comfortable letting it go after that. This time of year, what we've got moving forward, I didn't want to risk doing something that causes me to really miss some time.
"I mean, I'm obviously going to be optimistic. I understand that I took myself out of a game, and that's the first time I've ever done that in my career. I understand that there's some sort of concern, right? But at the same time, I've seen our trainers, done a lot of physical stuff and nothing really jumps out at me. So in that aspect, I'm optimistic about it. Obviously we'll get some more information and probably an image on it just to see what's there, kind of calm the brain down."
Skubal didn't look like himself from the jump on Friday night, allowing four hits and four runs in the 3.1 innings he threw before coming out of the game.
Where Do Tigers Go From Here?
Needless to say, if Skubal is out for any sort of extended period, it could be a wrap on Detroit's hopes for contending in the American League this October. The 28-year-old is the most important player on the team and winning any sort of playoff series without having him anchor the rotation would be a monumental task.
If Skubal can't go, it's going to be up to the likes of Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Charlie Morton and likely a whole lot of pitching chaos as well.
In a best case scenario, he misses his final few starts and is able to return by the time the calendar turns to October. Anything else frankly would be nothing short of a complete and utter disaster for the Tigers.
Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.