SATURDAY SURVEY

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Casey Mize last pitched for the Detroit Tigers in early 2022. He threw only 10 innings that April before being shut down and having Tommy John surgery in June.  Recently, it was revealed that he also had back surgery from a long-standing issue at some point after his TJ surgery.  The date of that surgery has not been released.  It is believed to have also been in 2022.

Mize missed almost the entire 2022 season and all of 2023.  It will be 2 years since he last pitched should he return to the rotation.

He came back to Detroit in late August of last year to throw live batting practice.  He lasted only for 15 pitches before being shut down again with fatigue.

He did not pitch again for weeks and in November it was announced that he was back to his throwing program.  Yet, he is still suffering from arm fatigue.  The Tigers are being very cautious and keeping him at a lower pace in his throwing program.

The average pitcher requires 12-18 months post-TJ for recovery with a full return closer to the 18 months.  It will be 20 months for Mize should he return and throw in spring training.

Mize was the #1 overall draft pick back in 2018. In his career for the Tigers, he has thrown only 1 full season out of 3 (1 was only 1/3rd of a season). That was back in 2021.

What do you think about Casey Mize’s future?  Can he return after 2 major surgeries and significant time away?

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18 thoughts on “SATURDAY SURVEY”

  2. He’s a great project for the medical and coaching team put together by Harris. Who knows, but I am continually amazed by A) how many pitchers come back from surgery B) how many pitchers are sidelined by injuries these days.

    Liked by 2 people

    • lcb, I think alot of injuries are due to velocity and spin and when I was a kid in the fifties and sixties pitchers did not throw 90+ except for a select few. I remember when Troy Percival was one of the few. And spin and revolution are risky gamechangers that put more stress on the elbow.

      Liked by 3 people

  3. It might take a while for him to get up to speed. Surely the Tigers will be cautious with him. However, I think he is painting himself into the corner that Spencer Turnbull occupies, and the Tigers FO will not look favorably at this arbitration request by Mize in the long run.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. I have a cautious yes because it will take time but I have faith in Harris to have a plan. He has kept Casey rehabbing while around the team and culture. And if there wasn’t talent and potential, I think Fetter and crew would speak up.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. The Tigers seem to think so, since they gave him $15,000 instead of $25,000 and they gave him next year for $3.1 million if he does well and a $10,000 buy out if he doesn’t. I find that rather interesting. Hopefully it won’t be stupid.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I have a completely evidence-free theory about he Tiger’s deal to quiet the Mize deal. When Chris Illitch was personally taking loud criticism for the ’21 failure to compete, he fired Al. Chris was taking lots of barbs on social media for being “cheap” with Mize, so I wonder if he ordered Harris to shut down this little brouhaha.

      Liked by 2 people

      • Hi, All – Ohhh, I see a conversation brewing here! I’ve been trying to dissect what happened and I think Mize believes he’s falling significantly behind salary-wise, esp. when he sees the $2.7 mill that Skubal is getting who was drafted in the same year with him. Parker Meadows was also drafted the same year and he’s earning a similar amount to Mize but he’s only been in Detroit for 37 games.

        Harris is showing a pattern of loading contracts with incentives and not allowing player options, only team ones. If Mize does well in 2024, the Tigers will pick up the option which would bump him to just above Skubal with $3.1 mill for 2025 so he then feels he’s caught up. If he doesn’t do well, then the Tigers will pay him the missing $10K he asked for this year and he’ll return to arbitration-guided salary.

        This motivates Mize to do well while also showing him that you have to earn the money you want. He has come across as wanting more money and not understanding that you have to do the work to get rewarded. Maybe being paid full salary for 2 years and not working had something to do with it. If he does well, it’s a bonus for the Tigers. If he doesn’t, they pay him the $10K difference and then probably trade him. – Holly

        Liked by 6 people

        • That is a good contract for Mize, he has opportunity, not entitlement. It is fair for clubs to pay for recent and expected performance. I can understand Mize’s point of view though – he didn’t ask to get hurt, and being hurt, arm and back, prevented him from doing much.

          Liked by 1 person

          • I would somewhat disagree gl1 as he was so insistent about using the screwball and used entitlement to validate his reason. A pitch that feasts on the elbow and has sent others to TJ. A pitch he himself brought back to his arsenal when Fetter and crew advised against it so he shoulders some blame.

            Liked by 5 people

          • Actually GoLions1, while he may not have asked to get hurt, Mize probably contributed to his TJ surgery on his own by not following recommendations set by Fetter and the training staff. Despite being told not to throw the splitter, Mize decided to throw it while teams weren’t allowed to communicate with players.

            Liked by 2 people

  6. Mize was great in college mostly due to his splitter. The splitter and his overall mechanics made him injury prone. If you change his mechanics and take away the splitter, who knows what you have left.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Obviously, at this point Casey Mize is a long-shot to succeed in MLB. But since the Tigers retain hope in Mize pitching again, I would put him in the bullpen, where light work could get him used to hitters gradually.

    Liked by 3 people

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