Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize is a quarter of the way through what is shaping up to be a career-changing comeback season, just like teammates Javier Báez and Spencer Torkelson.
But Mize has hit a speed bump on his journey.
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The Tigers placed Mize on the 15-day injured list May 10 (retroactive to May 9) with a left hamstring strain, which means he won’t be eligible to return until May 24. There’s good news and bad news: It could be a minimum stay on the injured list, but it’s the second year in a row with a left hamstring injury.
“I tweaked it in the game,” Mize said May 11, referencing his May 8 start against the Colorado Rockies. “We’re being a little bit more conservative because it’s May. If it’s September, we might not be having this conversation.”
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize (12) watches a play against Kansas City Royals from the dugout during the sixth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
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Manager A.J. Hinch described it as a mild strain.
Mize confirmed that.
“Very mild,” he said.
The hamstring injury this season seems significantly different than the hamstring injury last season, which cost him two months.
This time, Mize has continued throwing — just not in games.
He completed a May 13 bullpen session, and there’s a chance he avoids a rehab assignment, though it’s too soon to say for certain.
“I’m not shutting down my arm at all,” Mize said. “Even my normal prep work and routine is the same, with some added rehab stuff. I think that’s a positive sign.”
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Another big difference: The hamstring injury last season required an immediate removal from his start against the Los Angeles Angels. This season, however, he felt well enough to complete the sixth inning of his start against the Rockies, allowing one run on three hits with no walks and eight strikeouts.
“I think that kind of proves how minor it is,” Mize said. “Something is there, but it’s not as bad.”
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In 2025, Mize has a 2.53 ERA with nine walks and 35 strikeouts across 42⅔ innings in seven starts. He has the best ERA in the Tigers’ starting rotation, better even than reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, who has a 2.67 ERA in nine starts.
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Mize posted a 4.49 ERA in 2024.
From 2024 to 2025, he has improved in walk rate (from 6.4% to 5.4%) and strikeout rate (from 17.3% to 21%), but most notably, his whiff rate has jumped from 22% to 28.3%. His splitter — once his signature pitch as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Auburn — is the best it’s been in his five-year MLB career.
Now, Mize just needs to get healthy again.
“I’ve thrown the ball well, so this comes at a weird time where I don’t want to miss any starts,” Mize said, “but we’re not looking at months here. I don’t think I’m going to have to relearn how to do some things. Hopefully, I can just come right back into it.”
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Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize reacts to left hamstring injury