AL Cy Young frontrunner Tarik Skubal exits game with rib cage discomfort, will undergo imaging

The Detroit Tigers are holding their breath on Tarik Skubal.

The reigning Cy Young winner and current Cy Young frontrunner exited Friday's game in the fourth inning with tightness in his left side and needs further evaluation, the team announced. ESPN's Jeff Passan later reported Skubal experienced discomfort near his left rib cage and will undergo imaging Saturday to determine the severity of the injury.

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Skubal could be seen grabbing at the left side of his body after his final pitch against the Miami Marlins, who scored four runs in the southpaw's 3 1/3 innings of work.

A Skubal injury of any significance is going to be bad for the Tigers, who hold a commanding lead in the AL Central at 84-64 but still have a wild-card bye to play for. The real fear will be an injury that affects his playoff availability, as the MLB postseason will begin in less than three weeks.

Skubal entered Friday as a -3000 favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award, with Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet the next-closest at +900. So long as Skubal stayed healthy the award was likely his, but now some uncertainty has been added to the mix.

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At 28 years old, Skubal has cemented his reputation as the top pitcher in the American League this season after winning his first Cy Young Award and a triple crown last season. He entered Friday leading the league in ERA (2.10), WHIP (0.856), strikeout rate (32.6%) and walk rate (4.1%) while ranking behind only Crochet in innings pitched (180) and strikeouts (222).