AJ Hinch’s Tarik Skubal rehab assignment announcement will excite Tigers fans

On Friday, Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Tarik Skubal is expected to make a rehab assignment outing on Sunday amid his elbow injury recovery, via Jason Beck.

“Tarik Skubal will make a rehab start Sunday at High-A West Michigan, manager A.J. Hinch announced. The weather forecast in Grand Rapids is more favorable than in Iowa, where Triple-A Toledo plays this weekend and where Justin Verlander made a rehab start Tuesday,” Beck reported.

Skubal has been trending in the right direction and Sunday’s appearance will be another step forward. At the moment, Skubal is also dealing with trade rumors while working his way back from injury. The Tigers star is doing everything he can to place his focus on returning to the Tigers as soon as possible.

The 29-year-old two-time Cy Young winner turned in a stellar 2.70 ERA across seven starts before landing on the injured list. Skubal won his Cy Young awards in 2024 and 2025. He is arguably the best pitcher in baseball.

The southpaw is going to become a free agent after the season. Meanwhile, the Tigers have struggled. Trading him seems like a likely move, but Detroit could end up holding onto Skubal if the ball club bounces back over the next few weeks.

As far as his injury recovery is concerned, it will be interesting to see if Skubal needs more than one rehab start. The Tigers will be cautious, but there is a chance that he will prove he is ready to return on Sunday.

Updates on Tarik Skubal’s injury status will continue to be monitored and provided as they are made available.

The post AJ Hinch’s Tarik Skubal rehab assignment announcement will excite Tigers fans appeared first on ClutchPoints.