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Tarik Skubal Throws 35-Pitch Bullpen, Very Enthusiastic About his Progress
Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal (elbow) threw a 35-pitch bullpen session on Thursday morning, according to Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. Skubal said he treated it more like a "start" than a between-start bullpen, and he increased the intensity and hit the velocity target he set at the end. The back-to-back American League Cy Young winner didn't have any symptoms following surgery on his left elbow to remove loose bodies, and he continues to be very enthusiastic about his progress. Manager A.J. Hinch shot down rumors that Skubal could skip a minor-league rehab assignment altogether and return to the team's starting rotation next week. However, Skubal has now thrown off a mound three times since having surgery two-plus weeks ago, so it wouldn't be entirely impossible for him to start a rehab assignment at some point late next week if he's feeling good. The 29-year-old southpaw is making excellent progress, and in a best-case scenario, he might come off the 15-day injured list in early June. Skubal has added incentive to make it back as soon as possible to try to increase his trade value before August's deadline. He signed a one-year, $32 million deal with Detroit in February of this year, so he'll be a free agent at the end of the 2026 season.
Source: MLive.com - Evan Woodbery
Source: MLive.com - Evan Woodbery
