DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers entered the 2025 season with high hopes, but a rash of injuries and a prolonged losing streak have the club teetering on the edge of irrelevance ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
Detroit sits at 20-31, 9.5 games behind the Central Division-leading Cleveland Guardians (30-22), and has posted baseball’s worst record in May.
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At the center of it all is the absence of ace Tarik Skubal, the reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner who has been sidelined since early May.
Skubal’s injury, recovery timeline
Skubal was scratched from his scheduled start against the Boston Red Sox on May 4 and subsequently underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow.
He has since thrown two bullpen sessions as he ramps up for a possible return.
Prior to the injury, Skubal had been dominant.
He posted a 2.70 ERA with 45 strikeouts across 43.1 innings through his first several starts.
Signs of trouble emerged during his final outing on April 29 at Truist Park against the Atlanta Braves, when Skubal was seen shaking his left forearm in visible discomfort before Tigers’ trainers visited him on the mound.
Despite the discomfort, Skubal gutted out the inning, finishing with seven strikeouts while allowing two runs on five hits in over seven innings.
Detroit fell to Atlanta, 4-3.
Freefall in Detroit
Since Skubal landed on the injured list, the Tigers have gone 2-14 and are riding a six-game losing streak.
The collapse has been reflected in Detroit’s postseason odds. On Opening Day, the Tigers carried a 77.2% chance of reaching the postseason.
By April 8, that figure had dropped to 43.9%, before rebounding to 62.1% on May 3.
As of May 22, the odds stand at just 23.9%, the second-largest postseason probability drop in baseball, trailing only the New York Mets.
Offensively, the Tigers have struggled to keep pace.
Detroit ranks 27th in runs scored, 18th in batting average, and 23rd in on-base plus slugging percentage.
Over their last 16 games, the Tigers are batting just .194 with the second-highest strikeout rate in Major League Baseball at 26%.
The pitching staff has also been vulnerable in the losses.
Five of their six defeats during the current skid came while allowing four runs or fewer.
A familiar pattern or a different story this time?
The Tigers are no strangers to turbulence.
In 2024, Detroit stumbled early before rallying after the All-Star break to earn an American League Wild Card berth.
The Tigers defeated the Houston Astros 2-0 in the Wild Card round before falling to the Guardians in five games in the American League Division Series.
Last season, the Tigers came out hot, sending six players to the All-Star Game, but faded down the stretch, losing the division title to the Guardians.
They rebounded by defeating Cleveland in the Wild Card before falling to the Seattle Mariners in five games in the ALDS.
Now in 2026, with a roster ravaged by injuries and a 20-31 record, the question looming over the franchise is whether the Tigers will surge again or pivot to seller mode ahead of the trade deadline.
With Skubal in a contract year, the stakes could not be higher. Do the Tigers hold on to their ace and hope for a turnaround, or do they cash in on his value before July?
Injury report: Tigers provide update on key players
The Tigers released a sweeping injury update Friday, with several veterans progressing through rehab assignments and return-to-play protocols.
Shortstop Javier Báez continues his recovery from a right ankle sprain, advancing through running and hitting progressions.
Relief pitcher Beau Brieske pitched for Triple-A Toledo on a rehab assignment last week as he works back from a left adductor strain.
Fellow reliever Will Vest had a rehab outing with Toledo while recovering from right forearm inflammation.
Outfielder Kerry Carpenter continues daily rehab work for a left AC joint sprain, while center fielder Parker Meadows remains in daily rehab after suffering a left radius fracture.
Left-hander Bailey Horn began a throwing progression following left elbow arthroscopy.
Top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe completed a bullpen session last week as he continues his recovery from right UCL reconstruction surgery.
Right-hander Troy Melton threw a bullpen session last week while rehabbing right elbow inflammation.
Starter Casey Mize completed a bullpen session last week as he recovers from a right adductor strain.
Pitcher Reese Olson continues daily rehab following right shoulder labral repair surgery.
Infielder Trey Sweeney remains in daily rehab for a right shoulder strain.
Second baseman Gleyber Torres is progressing through a hitting program and participating in conditioning and defensive drills as he recovers from a left oblique strain.
Veteran pitcher Justin Verlander completed a live batting practice session last week while recovering from left hip inflammation.