Tarik Skubal could be back sooner than expected after elbow surgery, says agent Scott Boras

The Tigers never put a timeline on Skubal's return

Tigersace and two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal underwent surgery last week to remove loose bodies from his elbow. The ballclub didn't reveal an expected timeline for a return to the mound for Skubal, a free-agent-to-be, but the typical schedule is about two or three months, dependent on how extensive the procedure is and on the player himself.

Skubal's agent, Scott Boras, however, said over the weekend that it could be an even quicker return. Skubal's surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache used a NanaScope, Boras said on ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" podcast, making it a far less invasive surgery.

"This is really almost like receiving a shot," Boras said, referring to the surgical instrument as "a Skubal scope. "We think that's going to be a much shorter period [of rehabilitation]... and he'll be able to return to performance at just a much, much earlier stage."

The speculation from Boras seems to put Skubal on a timeline that could have him back before the end of June. Not only would the less-invasive surgery allow him to start throwing again sooner, but it would also correspondingly take less time to build back up the arm strength. That said, yes, it's in Boras' best interest to hype up his client. Free agency comes after the season and Skubal is far and away the cream of a mediocre 2027 class. 

In seven starts this year, Skubal is 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 45 strikeouts against six walks in 43 ⅓ innings. He won the American League Cy Young in 2024 and 2025. The Tigers, meanwhile, are off to a disappointing 19-22 start, though the low bar of the AL Central means they are tied for third place with the Royals and just 1 ½ games behind the first-place Guardians. No team in the division has a winning record.