Detroit’s ace left‑hander Tarik Skubal resumed light tosses this week, just 14 days after surgeons removed a bone chip from his pitching elbow. The procedure, performed with a NanoScope, is a minimally invasive first for a major‑league pitcher. Skubal, an AL Cy Young winner, hopes the start will accelerate his return. The visual check follows a rehab program that includes shoulder work and bullpen sessions.

Recovery timelines for elbow arthroscopy usually span two to three months, but Skubal’s agent Scott Boras claims the thinner instrument used by Dr. Neal ElAttrache could trim rehab to roughly a month. That timeline would be a boon for a Tigers squad that has dropped eight of its last nine games recently and sits fourth so far in the AL Central.

Beyond the on‑field impact, Skubal’s speedy progress could shape his free‑agency market this fall, where he is projected to command offers approaching Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s record $325 million deal with the Dodgers. Executives from other clubs are watching the “Skubal Scope” closely, weighing whether the technique might become a template for pitchers seeking faster returns.