Tarik Skubal is going under the knife.
The Detroit Tigers ace is set to undergo surgery on his pitching elbow to remove loose bodies.
The news comes hours after the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner was scratched from his Monday night start against the Boston Red Sox.
Skubal, 29, went seven innings in his last start on Apr. 29 and had expected to make his scheduled start on Monday.
“I’m all right,” Skubal told reporters on Sunday.
But later in the day, Skubal told manager A.J. Hinch that something flared up in his arm and after consultations with the training staff, he underwent imaging that identified the loose bodies.
The Tigers say Skubal will now consult with doctors to set up the procedure.
A native of Hayward, CA, Skubal has made seven starts this season. He is 3-2 with a 2.70 earned run average and WHIP of 0.946 over 43.1 innings of work. Skubal has struck out 45 batters and walked six.
The seven-year pro is widely expected to be one of the hottest free agents on the market this offseason.
There is no timetable for Skubal’s return, but that type of procedure can typically lead to a recovery time of up to three months.
Tyler Hilton will make a second consecutive start for the Tigers on Monday, in place of Skubal, to open up a bullpen game.
