The Detroit Tigers have already signed starting pitchers Jack Flaherty and Kenta Maeda this offseason, and now they’ve received exciting news about a player they already had on their roster.
According to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press:
Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, has recovered from elbow and back surgery.
Since April 14, 2022, he has not pitched for the #Tigers.
In his return to the mound, keep an eye on his innings, splitter, and command.
When the Tigers began their previous rebuild, they chose to focus on young starting pitching. They drafted Mize, Matt Manning, and Tarik Skubal, but none of them have been able to stay healthy in the big leagues for very long.
The Tigers’ goal for 2024 is to compete with Maeda, Flaherty, and hopefully those three, but if someone goes out again, they’ll have the internal depth to absorb losses.
Mize made his debut in 2020 after being selected first overall out of Auburn in the 2018 draft. He’s 7-13 with a 4.29 ERA in his young career, but he showed real promise in 2021, pitching to a 3.71 ERA in 30 starts.
He was injured at the start of 2022.
In 2023, the Tigers finished second in the American League Central and are hoping to make their first playoff appearance since 2014.
Given the mediocrity of the American League Central at the moment, it’s not out of the question that Detroit could compete immediately in 2024.
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