The Detroit Tigers may have lost more than a baseball game on Friday night against the Miami Marlins. Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal retreated to the clubhouse prematurely after complaining of tightness in his left side during the fourth inning, and fans are fearing the worst.
Skubal, on the other hand, prefers the glass half-full approach, and when asked about his early-exit after the game, the Tigers' left-hander said that he's optimistic. Skubal will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury, and his status for his next start is currently up in the air.
The Tigers have been scuffling of late, and are battling the Toronto Blue Jays for the top spot in the American League with just over two weeks remaining in the regular season. If the MRI comes back clean, Tigers fans will be able to rest easy knowing that their World Series dreams are still intact. If, however, Detroit's ace is bound for the IL, the Tigers' pursuit of their World Championship since 1984 will take a major hit.
Tarik Skubal attempts to reassure Tigers fans, but the MRI will dictate what happens next
Skubal is in line to win his second AL Cy Young Award after taking home the honors in 2024. The Tigers lefty is 13-4 with a sparkling 2.10 ERA and 222 strikeouts in 28 starts this season. Skubal leads the league in ERA, ERA+, FIP, and WHIP, and is just 12 innings shy of a career high this season.
Tarik Skubal says he felt tightness in his left side during the 4th inning and it never improved. He expects to undergo an MRI to pinpoint the reason for the tightness, but says he will remain optimistic.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 13, 2025
That could all be for naught, however, if Skubal is forced to miss time due to injury. The dreaded oblique injury is obviously on the mind of the Detroit faithful as they await the results of Skubal's upcoming MRI. While Tigers fans are certainly happy to hear that this isn't an arm-related ailment, oblique and intercostal injuries can take multiple weeks to heal.
With the playoffs just over two weeks away, Detroit can ill-afford to be without their ace for the postseason. Until they hear something official from the team, Tigers fans will be waiting with bated breath, hoping that Skubal can avoid a stint on the IL.
