Tigers fans panicking after Tarik Skubal nebulously exits start vs Marlins

Just two innings after Javy Báez exited Friday's game after fouling a ball off of his face, the Detroit Tigers' injury nightmare in Miami got even worse.

With the Tigers trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, American League Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal winced and reached for his left side after throwing a changeup to Marlins first baseman Eric Wagaman.

"Tarik Skubal is coming out of the game," Chris McCosky of the Detroit News posted on X. "Something didn't feel right and he called Jake Rogers to the mound. AJ Hinch and trainers followed. Not sure what it was. He was pretty stoic about it."

Skubal ended up exiting the game, and the team announced that he was being evaluated for tightness in his left side. He had thrown just 46 pitches and allowed four earned runs on four hits while striking out two through 3 1/3 innings before being replaced by Rafael Montero.

The Tigers have yet to provide an official update on Skubal's injury status beyond Friday's game. Detroit fans are hoping for the best, but already fearing the worst.

Tigers fans panicking as Tarik Skubal exits with apparent injury vs Marlins

While there's a possibility that Skubal's removal from the game was precautionary, an injury of any kind would spell disaster for the Tigers as they gear up for what they hope will be another deep playoff run.

The reigning AL Cy Young winner, Skubal is the favorite to repeat this season. The 28-year-old left-hander owns a 2.26 ERA with 0.86 WHIP and 224 strikeouts over 183 1/3 innings (29 starts) for the division-leading Tigers in 2025.

Any sort of extended absence for Skubal would be a massive blow to the Tigers with just over two weeks remaining in the regular season, as their rotation depth behind him is shaky at best. Detroit is down to a four-man starting rotation, including Skubal, after Sawyer Gipson-Long landed on the 15-day injured list prior to Friday's game.

The Tigers comfortably sit atop the AL Central at 84-63 on the season and are virtually locked in for a postseason berth, but Skubal’s status now looms large over the team’s hopes of competing deep into October.

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