Scott Boras: Tarik Skubal underwent 'Skubal scope' procedure that projects to significantly shorten his recovery timeline from elbow surgery

TL;DR

Tarik Skubal underwent a new 'Skubal scope' procedure that is expected to significantly shorten his recovery time from elbow surgery. His agent, Scott Boras, indicated that he could return in as little as 4-6 weeks instead of the typical three-month recovery period.

Key points

Tarik Skubal underwent elbow surgery.
The surgery typically requires a three-month recovery.
Scott Boras announced a new procedure called 'Skubal scope'.
Recovery could take as little as 4-6 weeks.

Mentioned in this story

Scott BorasDetroit Tigers

Tarik Skubal

News broke last week that Detroit Tigers ace and two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal needed elbow surgery that typically comes with a three-month timeline to return.

Skubal had that surgery on Thursday. After the procedure, MLB insider Jon Heyman reported that Skubal had a conservative timetable of two months to return and that he could conceivably be back within 4-6 weeks.

The report raised eyebrows and questions as to how that timeline was possible. On Sunday, Skubal’s agent Scott Boras revealed that Skubal underwent a new procedure that he confirmed is expected to significantly shorten his time on the shelf.

It’s more like ‘an injection’

Boras told ESPN’s Buster Olney on the “Baseball Tonight Podcast” Sunday that Skubal is the first pro athlete to undergo the procedure that he and Dr. Neal ElAttrache coined the “Skubal scope.” Per Boras, the procedure is more like “an injection” than a surgery.

“Dr. Neal ElAttrache described essentially that he had — there's new technology where a needle-sized device, he can manipulate it where it doesn't in any way — he can put the scope in, and has a camera on the end of it that gives him a 120 degree look at everything,” Boras said.

“Where he can be precise about where the bone chip was, and he could do this in a way that would not interrupt the tissue as a normal arthroscope would.”

Boras confirmed that Skubal didn’t have any ligament damage. Instead, he had a “lima-bean sized particle” in the back of his elbow that was an impediment to his pitching motion.

Boras declined to offer a precise timeline for Skubal’s return to pitching in a live game, but projected it could be “well less than half” of what’s normally expected from an arthroscopic procedure. With this new technology, Boras doesn’t expect Skubal to have to undergo the typical rebuild of his arm readiness that he established in spring training.