Detroit Tigers star pitcher Tarik Skubal is trending towards a return on Thursday, manager A.J. Hinch revealed to MLB Network Radio on Tuesday.
The left-hander exited Friday’s 8-2 loss against the Miami Marlins after experiencing tightness on his left side in his rib cage area. However, the pitcher told the Detroit Free Press that his return for bullpen workouts Monday went well, saying, “Everything felt good.”
Hinch backed up that assertion.
“The sight of Tarik Skubal throwing off the mound was really awesome,” Hinch said. “He threw his normal bullpen. We’re going day by day. I’ll check in with him today. We’ll continue to inch towards his next start. Right now, that’s penciled in for Thursday.”
Skubal, 28, is coming off back-to-back All-Star appearances and won the American League Cy Young Award in 2024. This season, he is 13-5 with a 2.26 ERA over 29 starts.
Over his six-year career in Detroit, he boasts a 3.10 ERA over 135 games (132 starts).
The Tigers, 85-65, were 6 1/2 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central going into Tuesday’s games.
