Detroit Tigers: Tarik Skubal cheats the injury bug with leg contusion

The Detroit Tigers season is not off to the start that the team has been hoping for. When it comes to their starting rotation, they have been without several of the regulars after injuries have decimated things.

As this happened, some fans were making jokes about the Detroit Tigers needing to wrap up Tarik Skubal in bubble wrap. He’s been the team’s ace and the clear-cut number one pitcher on the squad, especially in the absence of Casey Mize.

Skubal’s been off to a great start in 2022, and losing him to injury would really be a detriment to this team’s pitching staff. In fact, it would leave the rotation with none of the original starting options they began the year with.

But, in Skubal’s most recent start, he took a line drive off of the leg and had to come out of the game early. Another headline for a Tigers starter to be leaving the game early, a headline that’s gotten plenty of use lately.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal cheats the injury bug.

The Tigers were forced to remove Skubal early after wearing the ball off of the shins. It was a brutal way for his start to end, but the early comments from the team and Skubal were optimistic that he would be okay.

Upon further review and the team running more tests, it was discovered that Skubal was okay and simply suffered a bruise/contusion. With all of the Tigers’ other injuries, the team is being forced to restructure their rotation.

As the tweet above mentions, restructuring things will give Skubal a chance to sit an extra day and be 100% ready for his next start. Things have worked out for Skubal, and the Tigers were lucky enough to see their de facto “ace” stay healthy after wearing the line drive.

Skubal has made eight starts in 2022, where he has accumulated 44.2 innings pitched, allowing just 11 runs. He’s pitched to a 2.22 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and added 50 punchouts to his credit while surrendering only eight walks.

Coming into the 2022 season, Skubal needed to improve, and his strong start in 2022 is a quality way for him to get things going. Staying healthy will be his biggest battle as it seems the Tigers rotation is bound to have some of the worst luck imaginable this year.

But, for the time being, Skubal has cheated the injury bug and will be able to get back to things in time for his next start.