Tigers Devastate Fanbase with Tarik Skubal News as Ace will Need Surgery
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The Detroit Tigers have sent a terrifying message to their fanbase with a potentially season-altering report with regards to their superstar ace Tarik Skubal.
According to a report from baseball insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Detroit is scratching Skubal from his scheduled start on Monday night against the Boston Red Sox. Further context from Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic revealed Skubal is going on the injured list with loose bodies in his elbow and will need surgery.
In his update to the media, manager A.J. Hinch said Skubal's arm locked up during last night's game, but that the hope is that this will be an "easy process and procedure", meaning there could be a chance of a return this season.
Tigers Are Going to Be Without Skubal for Awhile
The hope of course from the team sounds as positive as it can be, but it's hard to frame this as anything other than a complete and utter disaster for Detroit. Skubal is their most important player and being without him obviously significantly derails the season.
Should the repeat American League Cy Young be out for any sort of extended period, it could completely shake up the season for this team who hopes to contend for a championship.
Tigers Season May Be in Doubt if Skubal is Out
Detroit entered Monday one game above .500 and the team is starting to find its stride, but that does not mean they can afford Skubal missing more than just a start or two. This is the best pitcher on the planet, and the staff around him has not been great to this point.
Jack Flaherty has been a complete disaster while Casey Mize has been sensational but is injured himself, and beyond Framber Valdez there just is not a lot a lot of depth within this staff. With Skubal set to go under the knife, this is a blow the likes of which they have not dealt with anytime in the recent past.
Fans will eagerly await the next update on their star ace to see if he really will be able to come back at some point this season, but the fear from fans right now is obviously that Skubal's season is already very much in doubt.
Confidence from the organization is nice to hear, but until something more definitive is revealed with the timeline, fans are going to be crushed.
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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.