Tarik Skubal’s surgeon details ‘NanoNeedle Scope’ procedure that might expedite Tigers return

Tarik Skubal's elbow procedure could change everything for not just the Tigers, but professional athletes in general. Skubal's agent, Scott Boras, has maintained that his timeline could be moved up significantly thanks to a new scope done by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, which includes a tool most baseball fans have never heard of: the NanoNeedle Scope 2.0.

I'm no doctor, but thankfully ElAttrache is more experienced in his field than I am in mine. So, we'll let him explain. Essentially, the needle is smaller, which allowed for ElAttrache to remove the small loose body in Skubal's elbow rather easily.

“Unfortunately, going in and taking out loose bodies from a pitcher this time of year, it’s tough on them because you almost start the clock over again, from the beginning of spring training,” ElAttrache told The Athletic ($).

How the NanoNeedle Scope 2.0 moved up Tarik Skubal's injury timeline

It typically takes starting pitchers about 2-3 months to recover from this type of surgery, which removes loose bodies from the elbow. As ElAttrache noted, the pitcher essentially has to start their season from scratch, so the recovery process is difficult and can vary by player. The good news for Skubal and the Tigers is he gets a head start.

The hope with smaller needle is that there will be less swelling and bleeding than the surgery typically brings with it.

“I went through all of that with them,” ElAttrache said. “I showed them the scope and showed them where I would be able to go, and if we were using the standard size scope, the differences I would have to do. They saw that it would be much safer, number one, and it would cause a lot less invasion. … When you see it and you show them where you’re going to go, they get it immediately. It’s very obvious what to do.”

Skubal is serving as a very expensive lab rat in this scenario. If it works, then the Tigers could have their ace back a month ahead of time, and perhaps give them a fighting chance to overtake the Guardians in the AL Central.

What Tigers fans need to know about Tarik Skubal's recovery timeline

There's already been some disconnect between what Boras has said publically — that Skubal could resume throwing in a week — and the Tigers actual plan with him. AJ Hinch, for example, noted that Skubal will not start throwing again on Friday. Even though he's only under contract for this season, Skubal's still a significant asset for the Tigers. He's a two-time AL Cy Young winner, after all, and this team is built to win now.

“He will not resume throwing in the next few days,” Hinch said. “I don’t know when that day is going to be, but that next step of rehab is the one that we’re going to focus on, not some random date in the future that simply would be a guess at this point.”

Even with an expedited timeline, the Tigers are right to be careful with Skubal. Any hope they have at making a postseason run in 2026 and possibly beyond hinges on his health.

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