The Detroit Tigers have been dealt blow after blow early this season, with the most significant coming in the form of losing ace Tarik Skubal for the foreseeable future.
It’s no secret that the Tigers are a much different baseball team when Skubal is healthy, regardless of whether he’s on the mound or not. He’s built a foundation for himself as a leader of this franchise, and getting sidelined this early has taken a toll on the performance on the field for Detroit.
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Speaking with 97.1 The Ticket Thursday morning, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who watched his team get swept by the Boston Red Sox from the sideline on Wednesday, serving a one-game suspension following the Framber Valdez incident, provided a key update on the ace of Detroit.
Hinch’s Update on Skubal
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (14) walks off the field for a pitching change. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“So, the surgery went great,” Hinch said. “Timeline-wise, it didn’t work for us to connect after the surgery. I talked to him today, but all signs pointed toward very, very successful surgery, which is all good signs to hear from the doctor who actually performed it.”
“I think anybody saying any timeline is just guessing,” Hinch added. “It’s entirely guesswork at this point until he gets back to a throwing program, then it progresses to how he does it… We want him back as soon as possible; he wants to be back as soon as possible.”
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Hinch does expect to see Skubal back in a Tigers uniform this season, despite the unknown of how quickly that return will be. Detroit is currently out of important pieces to the starting rotation, as Casey Mize, Justin Verlander, and Troy Melton are all working their way back from injuries.
As for the upcoming three-game series against the Kansas City Royals, which marks a huge divisional contest for the Tigers, who sit one game back of first place in the AL Central with an 18-20 record, Hinch revealed who his starting pitchers will be :
Friday – Keider Montero
Saturday – Ty Madden
Sunday – Bullpen
Detroit Tigers pitcher Ty Madden (36) walks off the field after throwing the top of the fifth inning. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Keeping afloat until Skubal returns seems to be the best course of action for the Tigers right now, or at least until they get any reinforcements back that are currently on the Injured List.
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While the bullpen has been an issue for the franchise to begin the season, it could be getting some help by the end of the month or early June, with the returns of Melton, Beau Brieske, and a healthier Will Vest.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/tigers/onsi as Tigers Manager A. J. Hinch Shares Important Update on Tarik Skubal’s Elbow Surgery.