The Detroit Tigers and their fans received some tough news on Monday: two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal will undergo arthroscopic elbow surgery to remove loose bodies. The procedure comes after an elbow injury flared up during a throwing session on Sunday, sidelining the star left-hander indefinitely.

Skubal, 29, was pulled from a scheduled start against the Boston Red Sox on Monday, just five days after an injury scare against the Atlanta Braves. During that game, he was seen shaking his left arm and grabbing his forearm—a moment that raised immediate concern. Though he initially prepared for his next outing, a setback during Sunday's catch play prompted further scans.

"I thought I was progressing in a very positive manner," Skubal said. "Yesterday's catch play just didn't really go great, which led to getting scans and getting the information."

Neither Skubal nor the Tigers have set a timeline for his return, though similar surgeries typically require two to three months of recovery. The good news? No ligament damage was detected, and Skubal is expected to pitch again this season.

"From my understanding, you just go take (the loose bodies) out," Skubal explained. "I'm going to come back and be the same guy. I'm not really too worried about that."

This isn't Skubal's first brush with elbow issues. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017 and missed the college season, then had left forearm tendon surgery in August 2022, which cost him 11 months. But since returning, he's been nothing short of dominant: a 41-15 record with a 2.41 ERA over 84 starts, including a pitching Triple Crown in 2024 when he led the AL in wins, strikeouts, and ERA.

This season, Skubal is 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 43.1 innings, helping the Tigers share the AL Central lead with Cleveland at 18-17. He also won a record $32 million arbitration decision to pitch this season and will become a free agent after the campaign.

"This is something I've kind of been dealing with," Skubal said. "But then again, it was progressing in a positive manner, so I wasn't very concerned about it."

For Tigers fans, the wait begins—but with Skubal's track record of bouncing back, there's plenty of reason to stay hopeful.