Tigers no-hit wonder Spencer Turnbull dealt devastating injury blow

Detroit Tigers pitcher Spencer Turnbull, who threw a no-hitter in May, is out for the season because of Tommy John surgery.

Spencer Turnbull’s magical 2021 season is officially over.

The Tigers pitcher threw a no-hitter in his sixth start of the season. However, he’s only pitched three times since, landing on the injured list early in June. Now he’s been ruled out for the rest of the campaign.

Manager A.J. Hinch announced Turnbull needs Tommy John surgery on Tuesday, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. He won’t play for the rest of 2021 as a result.

Tigers pitcher Spencer Turnbull needs Tommy John surgery

Turnbull started the season on the COVID-19 list, but when he made it back on the mound, things went pretty well for him. He won his first start, then recovered from a trio of rough starts to grab a second victory on the year.

His best outing came on May 18 when the Tigers faced the Mariners. He struck out nine and walked two en route to a no-hitter. It was the first no-hitter for a Detroit pitcher since Justin Verlander in 2011.

Unfortunately, Turnbull didn’t have much time to build on that performance. He started three more games, grabbing one win to improve to 4-2 before a forearm strain landed him on the injured list. That injury was more severe than initially thought. According to MLB.com reporter Jason Beck, tests revealed “chronic damage in his elbow.”

The Tommy John surgery should keep Turnbull out for 12 months or more, so Tigers fans can hope to see his return late in the 2022 season at the earliest.

Turnbull finishes the abbreviated season with a career-best ERA of 2.88.

The news puts a damper on the Tigers’ surge coming out of the All-Star break. They have won four games in a row, including a 14-0 demolition of the Rangers to start their most recent series.