The biggest mystery in Major League Baseball just got a lot more intriguing—and it centers on the left elbow of Tarik Skubal.
The Detroit Tigers' two-time Cy Young Award winner is heading to the injured list after being diagnosed with loose bodies in his throwing elbow. The team made the announcement Monday afternoon, just hours before the 29-year-old was scheduled to take the mound against the visiting Boston Red Sox.
This isn't just any injury update. Skubal is in his final year of team control and is set to hit the open market this winter. The industry consensus has been that he'll shatter the record for the biggest contract ever handed to a pitcher. But now, the length of his recovery could mean the difference between a $250 million deal and a staggering $450 million payday.
The timeline remains uncertain. Because Skubal hasn't undergone the procedure yet, no one knows exactly how long he'll be sidelined. Recovery for this type of surgery typically ranges from two to five months—a massive variance that could determine whether he returns this season or not.
"He needs to get it taken care of," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters. "Surgery is going to happen. Soon. He's going through all the details of what that's going to mean: Who, what, where, when."
The trouble first surfaced late in Skubal's most recent start on April 29 against the Atlanta Braves. After blowing a 2-1 sinker past slugger Matt Olson in the seventh inning, the lefty immediately shook out his arm and waved catcher Dillon Dingler toward the mound. Skubal removed his glove and began massaging the outside of his left elbow, prompting Hinch and assistant athletic trainer Kelly Rhoades to sprint out of the dugout.
As the group huddled on the mound, Skubal kept rubbing his forearm. He shook it out a few more times before convincing everyone he could continue. The next pitch was a 97 mph fastball that froze Olson for a strikeout. Skubal then punched out the next two batters to finish the inning and his night.
Both Hinch and Skubal downplayed the incident afterward.
"I don't really know how to explain it, I just needed a little bit of time," Skubal told reporters, including MLB.com's Perla Paredes.
Now, the baseball world waits. For a pitcher of Skubal's caliber, every day of recovery carries massive financial implications. And for fans, the hope is that the best pitcher on Earth returns to the mound as good as new—regardless of when that day comes.