The Detroit Tigers and their ace, Tarik Skubal, rolled the dice together this season. Now, both are facing the consequences.

When the club announced Monday that Skubal will undergo surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow, it wasn't the worst-case scenario. But it was a reality both parties always knew they might have to face.

This season had already placed them in an uneasy limbo. Skubal, the two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner, was just months away from a potential $500 million payday. He'd made it clear he wasn't interested in extension talks. The Tigers, meanwhile, faced the prospect of losing him for nothing if they didn't trade him. Both sides assumed significant risk.

Now, each will take a hit. And Skubal's recovery timeline will determine just how big that hit will be.

For the Tigers, this is a major blow to their "all-in" season. This is their last year with the back-to-back Cy Young winner before he hits free agency and commands a contract that could reshape the pitching market. Without him, their playoff push just got much steeper.

For Skubal, the news could have been worse. This isn't Tommy John surgery. It's not a shoulder issue or a career-threatening rotator cuff problem. But it's still a setback that will sideline him into the second half of the season, dashing his hopes for a third straight Cy Young Award.

Instead of entering free agency with a league-leading strikeout total, he'll carry a concerning number in the "Games Started" column—likely somewhere around 15 or 17. That's not exactly the kind of resume teams want to see when they're considering the largest contract ever given to a free-agent starting pitcher.

Suddenly, both Skubal and the Tigers have to imagine life without him on the mound until roughly August 1. That leaves him about 10 to 12 starts to reestablish his market value—and push Detroit back into playoff contention.

The latter part has already proven more complicated than the Tigers imagined. At 18-17, they've struggled mightily away from Comerica Park, losing 14 of 20 road games. And now they'll have to navigate that road without their ace.