Tigers fans were given hope that injured ace Tarik Skubal could be back as soon as next week.
The reigning American League Cy Young winner threw a bullpen session on Thursday, the third of his rehab schedule, leading to speculation he could return from elbow surgery well ahead of schedule.
However, Skubal himself quickly debunked those theories.
If you’re not in those conversation, I wouldn’t trust anything you see,” he said, per The Athletic. “Now, I get it. I want to be back as fast as I can, too. What’s going on right now is kind of unprecedented. I don’t know in the history of the game if there’s been a surgery 15 days ago and I’m throwing a one-inning hypothetical start.
“So I get it. I want to be back as fast as possible. I also want to be healthy. It does me no good to come back fast, and then something happens, and I go back on the shelf again. But it is kind of day by day. It is how I feel and how I bounce back. Tomorrow, how I wake up, how I feel is going to be important.”
The surgery — a non-invasive procedure to remove a loose body from his left elbow on May 6 — has a recovery time of around 2-3 months. Skubal seems to be way ahead of schedule, with the bullpen session jumpstarting hope for fans and pundits.
One possible reason for the quick recovery time was that Skubal underwent a new procedure called the “NanoNeedle Scope 2.0,” with Dr. Neal ElAttrache using a microscopic needle that would result in less scarring and inflammation.
“This is really almost like receiving a shot,” Skubal’s agent, Scott Boras told the “Baseball Tonight” podcast. “We think that’s going to be a much shorter period (of rehabilitation).”
Skubal has pitched seven games this season with a 3-2 record and a 2.70 ERA. The Tigers would like to have an arm of his quality back as soon as possible.
The Tigers are struggling in the AL Central, sitting ten games behind .500. The start of the season has been a disaster for the playoff-hopeful squad.
There is no timetable for his return — at least nothing official.
“There are little hurdles to clear along the way when you come back from a procedure,” manager A.J. Hinch said Thursday. “As much as we described it as simple, it’s still a procedure.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
