baseball

Despite Tarik Skubal injury, all is not lost for Tigers. Here's how

•Yahoo Sports

Tarik Skubal's elbow injury and impending surgery are a blow to the Detroit Tigers' 2026 season. But all is not lost. Here's how they bounce back.

Start with this: There's no replacing Tarik Skubal . The Detroit Tigers are well aware that there's no readymade replacement for the reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner. But that doesn't mean they have to cash in their chances at winning their first American League pennant since 2012 – or their first World Series title since 1984.

Detroit suffered a significant blow when manager A. J. Hinch revealed Skubal will undergo elbow surgery to remove loose bodies from his throwing arm, a procedure that will sideline him into the second half – and probably right up to the Aug.

3 trading deadline, when the club will assess its spot in the standings and decide whether to add or subtract from its roster. At 18-17, the Tigers are in a five-team dogfight in the AL Central , one that figures to come down to Detroit, Cleveland and perhaps Kansas City. And with nine AL teams within four games of the .

500 mark, the wild card spot should be even more of a taffy pull. The Tigers certainly suffered a setback, but all is not lost. A look at the ramifications of Skubal's injury and how they may bounce back: What are loose bodies?

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