The Detroit Tigers received an encouraging Tarik Skubal injury update Tuesday, with the ace moving closer to a potential return. The southpaw now faces a Wednesday bullpen session that could determine whether the club activates him from the injured list or not.
The 29-year-old flamethrower is working back from arthroscopic elbow surgery performed May 6 to remove a painful loose body. Skubal’s recovery has progressed quickly, giving the Tigers needed optimism around a rotation hit by injuries.
That optimism grew after Skubal dominated a rehab start Sunday with High-A West Michigan. He threw five scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked none, and struck out six while building back toward a major league workload again.
The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen posted on X, formerly Twitter, sharing Skubal’s confidence prior to Wednesday’s upcoming bullpen session and a possible return to Detroit’s rotation.
“I expect everything to go well tomorrow, and hopefully I’m back”
Tarik Skubal will throw a bullpen tomorrow. The Tigers will see how it goes before any official word on the next steps (which could be a Skubal return against the Guardians)
"I expect everything to go well tomorrow, and hopefully I'm back," Skubal said.
— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) June 9, 2026
The comment gave the Tigers a hopeful tone before an important checkpoint. The bullpen session will show how Skubal’s elbow responds after his sharp rehab outing and whether the club can proceed with activation plans.
The rehab performance gave the Tigers plenty to like. Skubal needed only 54 pitches, threw 44 strikes, and reportedly touched 99 mph, suggesting his power has returned with his command.
Now, Detroit must decide whether he can rejoin the rotation this weekend. If the session goes well, his next start could come during the road series vs. the Cleveland Guardians.
The Tigers badly need the boost. Injuries have affected Casey Mize, Justin Verlander, Jackson Jobe, and Reese Olson, leaving the staff thin. Skubal’s return would restore their back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner during an important stretch to stabilize the rotation soon.
The post Tigers ace Tarik Skubal shares encouraging hope before bullpen session appeared first on ClutchPoints.
