🚨Tarik Skubal to Have Elbow Surgery! - Emergency Podcast (5/4 Fantasy Baseball Podcast)

In an emergency episode of Fantasy Baseball Today, hosts Frank Sample and Chris Towers break down the shocking news that Tarik Skubal will undergo elbow surgery to remove loose bodies, ruling him out for the remainder of the 2026 season. With a projected recovery time of three to four months—pushing his return into late August or September—the injury deals a massive blow to fantasy managers who drafted Skubal as the consensus #1 starting pitcher. The hosts emphasize that this is part of a troubling trend of elite pitchers succumbing to injuries early in the season, citing Garrett Crochet, Hunter Green, Spencer Schwellenbach, and others. They stress that even top-tier pitchers are vulnerable, making starting pitching inherently riskier than hitting in drafts. The discussion shifts to replacement strategies, with the hosts cautioning against holding onto Skubal in leagues without IL spots and recommending tough roster decisions. They highlight a tiered list of replacement options, from short-term fill-ins like J.R. Ritchie and Max Meyer to deeper league sleepers like Roki Sasaki and Braxton Garrett. The episode concludes with a strong push to take bold, high-upside moves—buying low on pitchers like Brian Wu, Kyle Bradish, Nick Lodolo, and Yuri Perez—rather than settling for safe, low-ceiling options. The sentiment is one of pragmatic urgency: to survive Skubal’s absence, fantasy managers must embrace risk and target ceiling over consistency.