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Casey Mize to start Friday? Detroit Tigers 'anticipating good meeting' about return
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- Casey Mize to start Friday? Detroit Tigers 'anticipating good meeting' about return
CHICAGO — Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize is eligible to return from the injured list Friday for the opener of a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park, following a 60-day absence with a left hamstring strain .
The Tigers will talk to Mize on Tuesday about the plan, but Mize is trending towards making his next start in Detroit.
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"We're anticipating a good meeting with Casey tomorrow," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said before Monday's game vs. the White Sox , "and if he can bounce back, that's on the horizon."
Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize (12) throws against Washington Nationals during the fifth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, June 13, 2024.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal has already been pushed back to the Red Sox series as part of a continued effort to monitor his innings , but if Mize starts Friday, then Skubal will be lined up to start Saturday on six days rest, which is two extra days.
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Mize, 27, completed four starts in his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo, including what should've been his final outing Saturday. In that start, Mize completed 4⅔ innings on 78 pitches, allowing three runs on three hits with zero walks and seven strikeouts.
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The Tigers asked Mize to work on his slider during his four-game rehab assignment with the Mud Hens. He had a 2.63 ERA with four walks and 17 strikeouts across 13⅔ innings in four starts.
His slider generated a 33.3% whiff rate in the four rehab starts, an improvement from the 18.9% whiff rate on his slider in the 16 starts with the Tigers.
Mize posted a 4.23 ERA with 21 walks and 58 strikeouts across 78⅔ innings in 16 starts with the Tigers before the injury. His last outing was June 30.
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Bryan Sammons optioned to Triple-A Toledo
Left-hander Bryan Sammons , who worked as a long reliever in his six games with the Tigers, was optioned Monday to Toledo. The 29-year-old will join the Mud Hens' starting rotation.
Sammons registered a 3.62 ERA with nine walks and 18 strikeouts across 27⅓ innings in six relief appearances, surrendering six home runs. Optioning Sammons opened a spot on the 26-man roster for right-hander Ty Madden to start Monday, making his MLB debut .
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Bryan Sammons pitches during the third inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 in Chicago.
"We want to get Ty and give him a runway to get some success," Hinch said. "Holding (Sammons) in the bullpen for the days in which he's going to be down, and doing something different on the pitching staff, was not the best use of our time. We have so many games in a row until the off day, next Tuesday."
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Sammons worked as a starter in Toledo before joining the Tigers, logging a 4.18 ERA with 34 walks and 78 strikeouts across 84 innings in 17 starts. He made his MLB debut July 29.
"He's got a chance to come back," Hinch said. "There's a lot of season left. As you've seen us use our pitching, we're going to try to mix and match when we can."
Alex Faedo to the injured list
Right-handed reliever Alex Faedo landed on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a right shoulder strain. He was reinstated from the paternity list, then immediately placed on the injured list.
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The placement on the injured list is retroactive to Thursday, which means Faedo is eligible to return as soon as Sept. 6.
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"Going into the baby, he had a little bit of lingering shoulder issues," Hinch said, "and then after the baby was born, he went to Lakeland, played catch and had some renewed soreness. We got him evaluated quickly in Tampa."
Faedo, 28, has a 3.61 ERA with 28 walks and 55 strikeouts across 57⅓ innings in 37 games. Five of his past six appearances were as an opener for a bulk reliever.
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Recently, Faedo has struggled to command his pitches, walking 15 batters in the last 22⅔ innings. The struggles date back to early July following his return from a four-week absence in June with hip soreness — a recurrence in Faedo's career.
It's unclear if the shoulder strain is related to the hip injury.
"We need to get a few things in order to see what this means," Hinch said.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Casey Mize eligible to make long-awaited Tigers return this week
