One of the last hurdles that Detroit Tigers ace starter Tarik Skubal had to overcome on his way back from a surgical procedure to remove a loose body from his throwing arm was a rehabilitation start with the West Michigan Whitecaps.
Skubal, who underwent the surgical procedure just over a month ago, has been trending toward a return earlier than most conservative projections had anticipated. Finally, he took the mound on Sunday afternoon – and the early reviews of his performance will certainly have fans of the Tigers feeling more confident.
Detroit Tigers Ace Tarik Skubal Starred In His Rehabilitation Start With The West Michigan Whitecaps
The rehabilitation start for Skubal with the West Michigan Whitecaps could not have gone better.
In the first inning alone, Skubal threw eight strikes on eight pitches with two strikeouts.
As the game went on, his velocity reached 99 MPH according to Tigers beat writer Jason Beck. His afternoon finished after five innings, during which he threw 44 strikes on 54 total pitches, and even went back to the bullpen after breezing through the game quickly.
According to Tigers beat writer Cody Stavenhagen:
“Final line for Tarik Skubal today in West Michigan: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K He threw 54 pitches, 44 strikes and topped out at 99 mph.”
Right now, Skubal could be on track to return to the Tigers’ starting rotation by the time they make their way to Cleveland for a critical series against the divisional rival Guardians this coming weekend, beginning on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Tigers, who have been anything but healthy this season, have also had Casey Mize, Justin Verlander, Jackson Jobe and Reese Olson on the IL. Skubal’s inevitable return will be a welcome sight for Tigers fans as they look to climb out of the hold they dug themselves in during their miserable month of May.
Tarik Skubal Spoke Honestly About The “Rollercoaster” Style Season He’s Had
While speaking to Detroit sportscaster Brad Galli on Friday, Skubal admitted that while it’s been a “rollercoaster” style season for him, he’s fortunate to have been back far earlier than most would have projected.
“I think, when you’re first told you have to have surgery to take a loose body and you don’t really know what the recovery timeline is, they tell you three months, and then you get there and they tell you four to six weeks – in the moment, it felt like a very positive thing,” Skubal said on Friday. “Obviously, I still had to miss four to five weeks of competition, but just to be back and competing right now is really special. Not just for me, but for the future of guys who have a similar kind of injury. Just to say that I’m healthy and good to go.
“Yeah, it’s been a little bit of a rollercoaster, but I think every season is, and you just learn to deal with it,” he continued.
The back-to-back Cy Young Award winner has posted a 3-2 record so far this season with the Tigers with a 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts across 43.1 innings pitched.
Tarik Skubal Passes First Major Test With Flying Colors During Rehab Start