Tigers share promising early rehab update on Tarik Skubal

Detroit ace Tarik Skubal is already throwing as part of his rehab from elbow surgery, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch announced Friday in a promising update for the pitcher.

Skubal began throwing this week while on a rehab assignment in single A Lakeland, less than 10 days removed from arthroscopic surgery on May 6 to remove loose bodies in his elbow.

Detroit ace Tarik Skubal is already throwing as part of his rehab from elbow surgery, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch announced Friday in a promising update for the pitcher.

The early portion of this rehab for Skubal will focus on extending the distance he can throw and picking up the intensity he can throw with. Skubal texted with Hinch on Thursday evening, the manager said, and shared how his elbow feels good and unburdened after the surgery.

“It's distance and intensity, and he feels great,” Hinch said. “I mean, I was texting back and forth with him last night, and he was super excited about just the general feeling that it didn’t feel weird. It doesn't feel awkward. It's not guarded. He's, you know — I've seen video of it. We're in touch with him daily about the program, and that sort of freedom mentally and physically, I think, is a great sign.”

Skubal’s still a ways off from a potential return in Detroit, but in a rehab that is “step-by-step,” Hinch said, this is a key stride for the pitcher to make.

“We thought this procedure would lead to a step-by-step process, and the next step is literally the throwing program,” Hinch said. “So he initiated that earlier this week, and we'll continue to play catch daily until we ramp him up to a bullpen.”