Mize was placed on the 60-day injured list by the Tigers on Friday as he recovers from right elbow and back surgeries.
The Tigers needed to free up a spot on the 40-man roster for waiver claim Tyler Holton. Mize had Tommy John surgery last June and also underwent back surgery around the same time. He's begun a throwing program but is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2023 season.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Beginning throwing program
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Mize (elbow/back) is scheduled to begin a throwing progression this week, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
According to Evan Woodbery of MLive.com, Mize underwent a previously undisclosed back surgery last summer, around the same time he had his Tommy John surgery in June. Mize's recovery from the back procedure delayed the start of his throwing program, but the fact that he's been cleared to start playing catch this week suggests that rehabbing the surgically repaired elbow is the greater concern at this juncture. Even if he avoids any setbacks with his back and/or elbow, he'll still be sidelined for most, if not all, of the 2023 season while he embarks on a long rehab program. Mize is still likely at least a couple months away from facing hitters, and until he's able to reach that phase of his recovery, the Tigers aren't expected to offer a target date for him to resume pitching in games.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Focusing on strengthening work
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Mize is working on maintaining full range of motion in his surgically repaired elbow at this stage of the offseason and has progressed to the strengthening phase of his rehabilitation process, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in mid-June, Mize is likely a month or more away from starting a throwing program, but he should at least be ready to play catch during spring training, if not throw off a mound. He'll presumably open the 2023 campaign on the 60-day injured list and isn't likely to pitch until late in the season, if at all.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Surgery completed
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Mize confirmed via his personal Instagram account that he underwent successful Tommy John surgery earlier Wednesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
The right-hander stated that his goal is to pitch for the Tigers at some point in 2023, but if Detroit plans to bring him back in a starting role, his return may not happen until next August or September even if he endures no setbacks in his recovery. Mize made only two starts for the Tigers this season before landing on the injured list in mid-April and eventually opting for the procedure after rest and rehab didn't yield the desired results.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Requires Tommy John surgery
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Mize (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander doesn't actually have a torn UCL, but the procedure is still necessary since the ligament has been stretched to the point that it's lost elasticity. Mize landed on the injured list after only two starts this season, and he made one rehab start in mid-May before his elbow issues worsened. The 24-year-old will miss the rest of the season and will also be sidelined for at least the first half of 2023.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Shut down from throwing
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Manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday that Mize (elbow) continues to feel discomfort while throwing and will be shut down while seeking additional medical opinions, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Mize had his rehab slowed in mid-May but resumed throwing early last week. However, he was unable to throw from 90 feet without experiencing pain and will face another shutdown as a result. A better idea of the right-hander's status will likely come into focus after he receives additional opinions on his elbow.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Shifts to 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Tigers transferred Mize (elbow) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.
Mize has been on the shelf since April 15 and didn't resume his throwing program until Monday, so he was already on track to spend more than the minimum 60 days on the IL. As a result, the transaction won't affect his timeline for a return. The right-hander is gradually expected to increase his long-toss distance off flat ground before potentially advancing to mound work at some point next week.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Begins throwing again
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Mize (elbow) began playing catch Monday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
Mize made just two starts this season before hitting the injured list with a sprained right elbow. He resumed throwing in late April and advanced to a rehab assignment by mid-May, but his first rehab outing went poorly enough that the Tigers elected to pause his rehab program for over two weeks. He's trending in the right direction again but is still several steps from returning to the active roster.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Nearing throwing program
Rotowire
Mize (elbow) hopes to begin a throwing program this weekend or early next week, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Mize made a rehab start at Triple-A Toledo but returned to Lakeland afterward to slow down his rehab program. The right-hander has been limited to plyo throws since heading to Lakeland, so he'll presumably need some time to build back up once he resumes his throwing program. While manager A.J. Hinch is encouraged that Mize is feeling good after slowing down his rehab program, the team won't have a better idea of the righty's status until he begins his throwing program.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Slowing down rehab program
Rotowire
Manager A.J. Hinch said Saturday that Mize (elbow) will return to Lakeland to slow down his rehab program, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander made a rehab start at Triple-A Toledo on Thursday and gave up three runs on four hits and no walks while failing to strike out a batter in two-thirds of an inning. While Hinch didn't say that Mize suffered a setback, he's still feeling some pain in his elbow and wasn't able to throw at his full intensity during Thursday's outing. It's not yet clear when the 25-year-old will be able to resume his rehab assignment.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Struggles in rehab outing
Rotowire
Mize (elbow) allowed three earned runs on four hits while striking out none across two-thirds of an inning during a rehab appearance with Triple-A Toledo on Thursday.
Mize showed significant rust, which isn't a particular surprise given that he's been sidelined since mid-April. Positively, there has been no word of a setback. However, Mize was pulled after only 29 pitches, so he will likely require at least one more rehab outing, and potentially more, before being activated from the injured list.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: First rehab start on tap
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Mize (elbow) will make his first rehab start at Triple-A Toledo on Thursday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Mize has been on the injured list since mid-April due to a right elbow sprain, but he'll return to game action in the minors late this week. It's possible the 25-year-old will require more than one Triple-A start since he's been sidelined nearly a month, but his rehab assignment should be the final step in his recovery process.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Nearing rehab assignment
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Mize (elbow) is nearing a rehab assignment, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Mize made just two starts this season before being sidelined with a sprained right elbow. He's been throwing again for nearly two weeks, and while he doesn't have a concrete date for the start of his rehab assignment, it's expected to begin not long after Matt Manning (shoulder) begins his Sunday.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Gearing up to face live batters
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Mize (elbow) has thrown multiple bullpen sessions at the Tigers' spring facility in Lakeland, Fla. and could be set to face live batting hitters as soon as this weekend, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Mize was placed on the 10-day injured list April 15 with an elbow sprain, but he's getting closer to a return. If his live batting session goes well this weekend, he would likely be set to make a rehab start at some point next week. Mize will likely make more than one start on his rehab assignment, placing his return to the Tigers somewhere around mid-to-late May.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Timeline for throwing program hazy
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Mize, who was recently diagnosed with a medial elbow sprain, is considered day-to-day but remains without an official timeline to begin a throwing program, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Mize is dealing with less soreness compared to when he first experienced pain in his elbow following his April 14 start against the Royals, but he'll continue to receive treatment until the Tigers are confident he's no longer dealing with symptoms of the injury. For what it's worth, the club seems optimistic that Mize's injury isn't a significant one, but his hazy recovery timeline could make it tough to justify holding him, especially in shallower mixed leagues.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Nature of injury clarified
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Mize (elbow) underwent further testing that revealed a sprained medial collateral ligament, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Mize was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right elbow sprain Friday, but he's feeling better Saturday. He'll be examined further once the team returns to Detroit on Monday, but it's encouraging that he's already dealing with less soreness a day after being place on the IL. It's not yet clear when the right-hander will be able to return. Michael Pineda is expected to take Mize's place in the rotation.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Sidelined by elbow sprain
Rotowire
Mize was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with a right elbow sprain.
Mize pitched five innings against the Royals on Thursday and while he struck out just two batters he was far from terrible, allowing two runs on six hits. The Tigers are calling his absence precautionary for now, but any elbow issue is potentially a significant worry for a pitcher. Tyler Alexander, who had been filling in for Michael Pineda, will likely remain in the rotation until Mize returns, with Pineda nearly ready to go after a visa delay slowed his spring buildup.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Set for Tuesday
Rotowire
The Tigers have an off day in camp Tuesday, but Mize will pitch in a minor-league game against the Yankees that day, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Mize last pitched in a Grapefruit League game Thursday, so this will keep the righty on his regular schedule of pitching every five days. The 24-year-old has been outstanding through two spring starts, logging five scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. He could be in line for a breakout 2022 campaign if he carries over some positive momentum into the regular season.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Looks good in spring debut
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Mize pitched two scoreless innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out three.
Mize wasn't overly efficient with his pitches, as he needed 39 of them in his two frames, but he still looked pretty good. The strikeouts are a promising sign, as Mize was able to muster only a 7.1 K/9 in 2021. If the 24-year-old can consistently miss more bats in 2022, he should be able to take a step forward from a fantasy perspective.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Scheduled to pitch Saturday
Rotowire
Mize is slated to make his spring training debut Saturday against the Pirates, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Offseason addition Eduardo Rodriguez will kick off the team's spring schedule Friday, followed by Mize on Saturday. The latter took a step forward in 2021, posting a 3.71 ERA after registering a 6.99 ERA as a rookie in the condensed 2020 season. Mize will turn 25 this year and should just be hitting his stride as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, though he'll likely need to miss more bats to really take off. He struck out only 118 batters across 150.1 innings last year.
