Tarik Skubal Looks Sharp in Bullpen Session Thursday

Tarik Skubal took a significant step in his recovery Thursday morning, throwing a 35-pitch bullpen session that offered the most encouraging signs yet of his pending return.

MLive Media Group's Evan Woodbury reported on X that Skubal treated the session more like a start than a standard between-start bullpen, increasing his intensity and hitting his velocity target by the end. Most importantly, Skubal reported no symptoms and expressed enthusiasm about his progress.

Other sources confirmed the reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner looked sharp during the session.

Skubal Needs Minor League Rehab Start Before Return

Skubal had surgery earlier this month to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, and his return timeline has remained intentionally vague — which is understandable given how critical he is to Detroit's success. Things became a bit clearer on Thursday, however. Per MLB.com's Jason Beck, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch confirmed that Skubal will need at least one minor league rehab outing before coming off the injured list. Hinch also shot down reports suggesting Skubal could return as soon as next week, calling the claim "ridiculous."

The bigger picture here is worth watching closely. The Tigers have stumbled to a 20-30 record, and the MLB trade deadline is now roughly two months away. Skubal's name surfaced in trade speculation last offseason, and with Detroit trending toward non-competitive territory, that smoke could turn to fire again in July — particularly with the uncertainty surrounding his health and recovery timeline. The entire situation has become one of the most fascinating storylines in baseball.

Skubal had a sparkling 2.70 ERA and 0.95 WHIP across 43.1 innings pitched before his elbow injury that has derailed his entire month of May. The Tigers' ace has 54 wins and a minuscule 3.04 ERA across his seven-year career.