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Could Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal be back from injury much faster than anticipated? His agent thinks so.
Skubal recently underwent surgery to remove a bone chip in his left elbow, and though the Tigers have not provided a timetable for his return, the recovery time has historically ranged from 2-6 months, depending on the severity of the injury. But Skubal's agent Scott Boras thinks Skubal can come back much faster than that.
Boras appeared on an episode of ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" podcast published on Monday, May 11, telling host Buster Olney that Skubal underwent a new surgical procedure that could significantly reduce his recovery time. The procedure, performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, differs significantly from a standard arthroscopic procedure, with Boras explaining how Dr. ElAttrache used a "needle-sized" device that allowed him to perform the surgery with greater precision than he could have before.
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"He can put the scope in and it has a camera at the end of it that gives him a 120-degree look at everything where he can be precise about where the bone chip was, and he could do this in a way that would not interrupt the tissue as a normal arthroscope would," Boras said.
"[Dr. ElAttrache] essentially went in and was able to see the particle, extract it, and in effect the consequence was that it was like Tarik had an injection, because the needle is so small."
The procedure, which Boras called the "Skubal Scope," could allow Skubal to ramp up more quickly than before and return in "less than half" the time originally thought – though Boras didn't provide a specific timeframe for Skubal's recovery.
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That's potentially great news for both Skubal and the Tigers, who are dealing with injuries to most of their starting staff. Skubal had a 2.70 ERA over 43⅓ innings pitched before landing on the injured list, leading all Tigers starters so far in 2026. The Tigers are 4-3 in games started by Skubal this season and 15-19 in all other games.
Skubal was originally thought to be out until at least July, though Boras' timeline hints at an earlier return. Boras also said the new procedure would positively impact pitchers across baseball, especially those who could potentially avoid more invasive arm surgeries.
"We're going to be able to use this procedure to determine shoulders, elbows, where the doctors can see precisely what the state of a tendon or a ligament or the rotator cuff is without in any way causing dramatic invasion of the shoulder or elbow," he said.
Though Boras is not a doctor, others medical professionals have shared similar optimism about Skubal's recovery. Dr. Shahryar Ahmadi, a California-based orthopedic surgeon, told the Free Press there is a good chance Skubal's recovery could be "very, very quick" as long as the elbow doesn't suffer from major signs of arthritis or stiffness.
“If there is extensive arthritis, lots of loose bodies, instability, stiffness, that makes it more complicated with a longer recovery – and less chance of going back to the previous level of playing," Ahmadi said.
Boras said Skubal's procedure was more "like a shot" than a surgery and added that he expects Skubal to return to his expected level of performance once he recovers.
"By removing [the bone chip] in a non-invasive process, [he is] obviously going to return to his normal performance levels without any encumbrance whatsoever."
Need to catch up on the news during your lunch break? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports!
You can reach Christian at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal could cut recovery time in half
Continue reading...
Skubal recently underwent surgery to remove a bone chip in his left elbow, and though the Tigers have not provided a timetable for his return, the recovery time has historically ranged from 2-6 months, depending on the severity of the injury. But Skubal's agent Scott Boras thinks Skubal can come back much faster than that.
Boras appeared on an episode of ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" podcast published on Monday, May 11, telling host Buster Olney that Skubal underwent a new surgical procedure that could significantly reduce his recovery time. The procedure, performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, differs significantly from a standard arthroscopic procedure, with Boras explaining how Dr. ElAttrache used a "needle-sized" device that allowed him to perform the surgery with greater precision than he could have before.
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"He can put the scope in and it has a camera at the end of it that gives him a 120-degree look at everything where he can be precise about where the bone chip was, and he could do this in a way that would not interrupt the tissue as a normal arthroscope would," Boras said.
"[Dr. ElAttrache] essentially went in and was able to see the particle, extract it, and in effect the consequence was that it was like Tarik had an injection, because the needle is so small."
The procedure, which Boras called the "Skubal Scope," could allow Skubal to ramp up more quickly than before and return in "less than half" the time originally thought – though Boras didn't provide a specific timeframe for Skubal's recovery.
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PAINFUL DAY: Kerry Carpenter to injured list; Detroit Tigers call up Gage Workman
That's potentially great news for both Skubal and the Tigers, who are dealing with injuries to most of their starting staff. Skubal had a 2.70 ERA over 43⅓ innings pitched before landing on the injured list, leading all Tigers starters so far in 2026. The Tigers are 4-3 in games started by Skubal this season and 15-19 in all other games.
Skubal was originally thought to be out until at least July, though Boras' timeline hints at an earlier return. Boras also said the new procedure would positively impact pitchers across baseball, especially those who could potentially avoid more invasive arm surgeries.
"We're going to be able to use this procedure to determine shoulders, elbows, where the doctors can see precisely what the state of a tendon or a ligament or the rotator cuff is without in any way causing dramatic invasion of the shoulder or elbow," he said.
Though Boras is not a doctor, others medical professionals have shared similar optimism about Skubal's recovery. Dr. Shahryar Ahmadi, a California-based orthopedic surgeon, told the Free Press there is a good chance Skubal's recovery could be "very, very quick" as long as the elbow doesn't suffer from major signs of arthritis or stiffness.
“If there is extensive arthritis, lots of loose bodies, instability, stiffness, that makes it more complicated with a longer recovery – and less chance of going back to the previous level of playing," Ahmadi said.
Boras said Skubal's procedure was more "like a shot" than a surgery and added that he expects Skubal to return to his expected level of performance once he recovers.
"By removing [the bone chip] in a non-invasive process, [he is] obviously going to return to his normal performance levels without any encumbrance whatsoever."
Need to catch up on the news during your lunch break? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports!
You can reach Christian at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal could cut recovery time in half
Continue reading...
