The Detroit Tigers woke up Monday morning tied with the Cleveland Guardians atop the American League Central, poised for a third straight postseason run. By the end of the day, their championship hopes took a significant hit.

Star left-hander Tarik Skubal—the two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner—was scratched from his scheduled start against the Boston Red Sox, placed on the 15-day injured list, and will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow. The team has not provided a clear timeline for his return.

The trouble first surfaced during the seventh inning of Skubal's last outing against the Atlanta Braves, when he winced and grabbed at his forearm. Catcher Dillon Dingler, the training staff, and manager A.J. Hinch rushed to the mound, but after a warmup pitch, Skubal convinced everyone he was fine—then proceeded to strike out the side. The Tigers' organization remained on alert, monitoring his recovery the next day and through his bullpen session on Sunday. He cleared those hurdles, but later that evening, his elbow locked up again. Scans revealed the bone chips that now require surgery.

Hinch described the procedure as an "easy process" to remove the loose bodies, but nothing involving the prized left elbow of one of baseball's elite pitchers is truly simple. Skubal, however, struck an optimistic tone Monday, saying, "From my understanding, you just go take it out… I think the length of the rehab is probably just getting your spring training buildup up again, getting your volume up."

For now, Tigers fans and fantasy managers alike are left holding their breath, hoping this is a minor setback rather than a season-altering blow.