One of the last hurdles that Detroit Tigers ace starter Tarik Skubal had to overcome on his way back from a surgical procedure to remove a loose body from his throwing arm was a rehabilitation start with the West Michigan Whitecaps.
Skubal, who underwent the surgical procedure just over a month ago, has been trending toward a return earlier than most conservative projections had anticipated. Finally, he took the mound on Sunday afternoon – and the early reviews of his performance will certainly have fans of the Tigers feeling more confident.
Detroit Tigers Ace Tarik Skubal Starred In His Rehabilitation Start With The West Michigan Whitecaps
The rehabilitation start for Skubal with the West Michigan Whitecaps could not have gone better.
In the first inning alone, Skubal threw eight strikes on eight pitches with two strikeouts.
As the game went on, his velocity reached 99 MPH according to Tigers beat writer Jason Beck. His afternoon finished after five innings, during which he threw 44 strikes on 54 total pitches, and even went back to the bullpen after breezing through the game quickly.
According to Tigers beat writer Cody Stavenhagen:
“Final line for Tarik Skubal today in West Michigan: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K He threw 54 pitches, 44 strikes and topped out at 99 mph.”
Right now, Skubal could be on track to return to the Tigers’ starting rotation by the time they make their way to Cleveland for a critical series against the divisional rival Guardians this coming weekend.
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