Detroit Tigers Lose Reigning Cy Young Winner, Tarik Skubal, Indefinitely Due to Injury

Skubal, who won the last two AL Cy Young awards, will be sidelined for months to remove loose bodies from his elbow.

Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches in the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga., on April 29, 2026. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Detroit Tigers’ starting pitcher, Tarik Skubal, began the season with ambitions of becoming the first pitcher in American League history to win three straight Cy Young awards. He was certainly in contention over the first month-plus of the season, with a 2.70 ERA and 45 strikeouts—both of which are in the top 10 of the league. Then, Sunday came, and the ace felt discomfort in his left throwing elbow, with Monday revealing the news that Detroit didn’t want to hear.

Now, Skubal’s ambitions are simply to pitch again in the 2026 MLB season as he’ll undergo elbow surgery in the very near future. The Tigers announced the news on Monday, just hours before Skubal was scheduled to start against the Boston Red Sox. But they also said they don’t know how long he’ll be sidelined until the doctors go in and examine the elbow.