The Tigers are shutting down Casey Mize from his throwing program, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Jason Beck of MLB.com). The right-hander, who has been out since mid-April due to a sprained medial ligament in his elbow, had been experiencing continued soreness while throwing from 90 feet at flat ground.
Hinch indicated Mize was headed for further medical evaluation, although there’s no indication a surgical procedure is under consideration at this point. The medial ligament is not one that typically serves as a precursor to Tommy John surgeries, and the organization has maintained optimism thus far that he’d be able to rehab from the issue without going under the knife. Mize has experienced multiple setbacks during a recovery process that has already dragged longer than the team initially anticipated, however.
That’s no doubt frustrating to both pitcher and team alike. The Tigers’ starting staff has been decimated by injury, one of the reasons the club has an underwhelming 21-33 record. Mize’s absence has loomed particularly large, as he made just two starts before the injury. That’s come on the heels of the former first overall pick tossing a team-leading 150 1/3 frames in 2021, when he pitched to a solid 3.71 ERA.
Mize, who turned 25 last month, is among the most important players in the organization. Detroit has built a good chunk of their rebuild on the young trio of Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning — whom they envision joining offseason signee Eduardo Rodríguez as the core of the long-term rotation. Skubal has had the breakout season for which Detroit has been hoping, working to a 2.15 ERA with a stellar 27% strikeout rate through his first ten starts. Mize and Manning, however, have both been on the IL since mid-April.
Manning, who’s dealing with shoulder soreness, was shut down from throwing himself late last month after a bout of biceps tendinitis arose during a minor league rehab stint. Hinch said today that doctors have cleared him to restart a throwing program (via Beck). It’s still not precisely clear when he might be able to embark on a new rehab assignment, but it’s positive news that Manning is again able to throw in any capacity after his recent setback.
Mize îs already on the 60-day injured list. Manning is on the 10-day IL, but his placement is retroactive to April 17. He’s likely to wind up transferred to the 60-day IL himself whenever the Tigers need a 40-man roster spot, as he certainly won’t be back on an MLB mound by the middle of June.
Casey, meet Tommy John. He’s here to help.
The medial ligament isn’t the ligament involved with TJ, but ok.
Isn’t that what they said about Michael Fulmer and come to find out it was?
Someone is wrong somewhere. Whether its which ligament is sprained or whether he needs TJ or not. The medial collateral ligament of the elbow is alternatively called the ulnar collateral ligament, which is what is reconstructed during TJ surgery..So, something isnt adding up.
Casey, l want you to meet your new agent. His name is Tommy John. Hello Casey, l’m your new guy for the next 18 month.
As I said, the problem is not that the Tigers have players go on the IL, its that they don’t come back from it. I can’t wait to see this team healthy.
If you like hype.
Are all these organizations in denial on the TJ surgery? It seems like every day we hear of a new name for an elbow injury always followed by “he won’t need TJ surgery”
Then a year or so later the player gets TJ surgery.
They’re in denial on what causes it. Teaching guys how to throw nothing but max effort every single pitch is why you see this.
Their pitching is not why they have such an abysmal record…
Mighty Casey has been elbowed out of the rotation
Top of the 2018 draft looked loaded but no one has lived up to the hype
To be fair, Kyler Murray is having a pretty nice start to his career so far lol.
it’s been less than four years…
Pretty hard to judge a draft class like that. No one really knows what players are gonna be for a few years after they’re drafted. Much harder to predict than in the NBA. Part of the reason why draft position means so little in this sport. (Plus, as DarkSide points out, it’s too early to tell).
Not liking the future for either Mize or Manning.
What a blow to Tigers who seem to have a lot of issues
Yikes. Cya in 2024 Casey
Don’t forget about Spencer Turnbull. TJ surgery after throwing a no-hitter, last year.
Don’t forget that’s why teams don’t want guys finishing those stressful no hitters
That 2018 draft looking like one of the worst in recent history. Outside of Bohm has anyone amounted to anything?
Way too early to even begin to judge that draft class. Way too early.
Casey Mize did. He produced 2.7 bWAR so far. That’s the reason why his injury is lamented by Tigers fans, by the way.
Gruß,
BSHH
Fortunately Alex Faedo seems to be emerging as a MLB pitcher and with Spencer Turnbull scheduled to return in 2023 the Tigers rotation appears to be strong if Mize does have to undergo TJ surgery and is out until 2024. Rotation in 2023 would projected to be…..Skubal, Rodriguez, Manning, Turnbull & Faedo (w/ Wentz, Brieske, Maddon, Smith in Toledo)
Trade Manning while you still can
First Manning is in unchartered injury territory, now Mize. That is extremely unfortunate, but it makes the surprising emergence of Faedo and others even more important.
Gruß,
BSHH
The Art of Pitching by Jim Price
Keyhole. It all starts with the same keyhole.
Fate has taken a buggy whip to Jimmie’s arsenal.
It’s a case of throwing as many yellow hammers as possible.
Glass half full,IF they can keep pitchers somewhat healthy. Here’s hoping
He’s 25 yrs old and has an elbow issue that requires he be shut down indefinitely. This is not the Koufax era and you just go pitch.
Does a ligament just grow back and get stronger with rest? Are they going to inject some platelets? Stem cells into his elbow?
Rest? Rest????? I’m pretty sure that isn’t going to work. Maybe for a handful of starts, but his career looks tenuous if this is all they do.
I’ve never understood what resting an injured arm does in the long run. It will feel better eventually, yeah. But as soon as you start throwing from any distinct distance, the throbbing WILL RETURN! I agree that the ’23 rotation doesn’t look nearly as bad with Turnbull, Faedo and maybe Wentz added in to go along with E-Rod and Skubal (who is an absolute stud SP). Then sprinkle in Mize or Manning when they are back from TJS or whatever procedure they are bound to eventually have and you may be OK. But the issue remains the exact same. We need offense in a MAJOR way! Its bad enough to have q player barely hitting above the Mendoza line, but this TEAM is barely doing it! This offense is putrid and needs to be the main focus of attention moving forward.
Pitchers are always pitching through pain. The worry is injury, not pain itself so you play through it unless surgery becomes inevitable. At least most players do it like that.
Both ERods stink. I was very sorry they signed Boston’s zero.
Ah, the sound of knees jerking.
Drating pitchers instead of position players invites this. Draft hitters and trade for pitchers. Stephen Strasbourg is available..
Ya, they should have taken Chris Nelson over Justin Verlander in 2004!
Well, do we need him really? Our pitching is great! We just can’t hit! Need to call up Greene. Kerry Carpenter is hitting .328 with 21 Hrs in Erie. They said when Alexander gets back they are putting him in the pen because of how good our starters are doing.
Replace Clemens with Carpenter. Enough with the Castros, Schoop, & Candelario already.