Orthopedic surgeon gives best guess on return for Tigers ace Tarik Skubal

Detroit — The Tigers aren't putting a projected timetable on Tarik Skubal's possible return this season. But one seasoned orthopedic surgeon believes if everything goes well for Skubal and the Tigers, the two-time Cy Young winner could be back on the mound before the end of August. Question is, will the Tigers still be in serious contention for a third straight trip to the playoffs at that point?

Skubal was placed on the injured list before his scheduled start against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park on Monday , diagnosed with loose bodies in his pitching (left) elbow. He will have surgery to remove those loose bodies, which are small fragments of cartilage and bone. The surgery is minimally invasive and the surgery you want to get if you have to have elbow surgery, said Dr.

Kevin Farmer, chief of sports medicine and an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Florida's College of Medicine. "It's probably one of the better ones (surgeries) to have in the shorter term ... take out the pieces, do a little cleanup," Farmer told The News on Monday night.

"Short-term, you can bounce back relatively quickly. "The longer-term issue is kind of the bigger question. ...