Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is still on track to make his next start, scheduled for Thursday afternoon at home against the Cleveland Guardians.
Skubal exited his last start against the Miami Marlins in the fourth inning after throwing his 45th pitch of the night and immediately grabbing at his left rib area. The reigning American League Cy Young winner threw a bullpen on Tuesday and confirmed after the fact that “everything felt good,” according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
“The sight of Tarik Skubal throwing off the mound was really awesome,” manager A.J. Hinch added in a Tuesday appearance on MLB Network Radio. “He threw his normal bullpen. We're going day by day. I'll check in with him today. We'll continue to inch towards his next start. Right now, that's penciled in for Thursday.”
Hinch added the day after Skubal's injury scare that the lefty flew back to Detroit for tests, which came back clean and the team would proceed carefully with the goal in mind for him to make his next start.
“I'm obviously going to be optimistic,” Skubal said at the time. “I understand that I took myself out of a game and that's the first time I've ever done that in my career, so I understand that there's some sort of concern.”
One year after his breakout Cy Young-winning 2024 season, Skubal is having an arguably better year in 2025. He has pitched to a league-best 2.26 ERA in 29 starts with 224 strikeouts over 183.1 innings. His 0.862 WHIP and 2.45 FIP are also tops in the AL.
Projecting out, Skubal is on track for two more regular season starts, including on Thursday. He would then be on full rest for the Tigers' first Division Series game after the team likely receives a first-round bye.
Skubal is the overwhelming favorite to repeat as Cy Young winner with -4000 odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Garrett Crochet of the Boston Red Sox is a distant second (+1000).
