Doctor explains Tarik Skubal return to Detroit Tigers from surgery

The Detroit Tigers placed reigning two-time American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal on the injured list with loose bodies in his left elbow. He will undergo surgery. The Tigers declined to share an estimated timetable for his return.

There are a wide range of timelines for Skubal’s return, from six weeks to six months, according to Dr. Shahryar Ahmadi , an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in shoulder and elbow injuries at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, California. "If there is not much arthritis in the joint, the player doesn't have stiffness, there is no instability, and it's just a couple of small loose bodies, the recovery is very, very quick – and the chance of going back to the previous level of sport is very, very high,” Ahmed said.

“If there is extensive arthritis, lots of loose bodies, instability, stiffness, that makes it more complicated with a longer recovery – and less chance of going back to the previous level of playing. " THE NEWS: Tarik Skubal to undergo surgery for loose bodies in left elbow Here's more from Ahmadi, who spoke with the Free Press on Monday, May 4, to help explain Skubal's injury, surgery, recovery – and if there's any reason to worry about a second Tommy John surgery: What are loose bodies in the elbow? "A loose body happens when you have damage to the joint.

A piece of cartilage or a piece of bone breaks off inside the joint, and over time, it can gradually get bigger – and that's a loose body. Sometimes, it stays in one of the recesses in the capsule, and it doesn't cause any problems, but sometimes, it can cause problems. It can get stuck inside the joint all of a sudden, and then you can get locking, pain, inflammation.