Tigers Scratch Casey Mize From Friday Start

Tigers right-hander Casey Mize might’ve thrown his last pitch with the club. Detroit scratched him from his scheduled start tonight, according to multiple reports, including from Chris McCoskey of the Detroit News. The move preserves Mize’s health heading into Monday’s trade deadline. A deal is not in place, but holding Mize out signals that Detroit is ready to sell.

All eyes have been on the Tigers, as they hold the most intriguing trade chip in two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. Detroit had remained on the periphery of the AL Wild Card race, giving the club a chance to avoid selling at the deadline. After dropping four of five, including coughing up a 7-0 lead on Wednesday, it appears the Tigers are moving toward a sell-off.

[Related: Latest Chatter On Tarik Skubal]

Skubal is the big prize, but Mize is a worthwhile target in his own right. The 29-year-old has a crisp 2.70 ERA through 16 starts. His xFIP and SIERA are about a run higher than that mark, though he has a strong 3.08 xERA. Mize has boosted his strikeout rate to a career-best 24.9%.

Mize fired six innings of one-run ball against the Royals over the weekend. That seems like it’ll be his final appearance with the club now that he’s been scratched tonight. As Jason Beck of MLB.com notes, Detroit took a similar approach with Jack Flaherty in 2024. He was held out of his last start before the deadline and eventually shipped to the Dodgers for catcher Thayron Liranzo and shortstop Trey Sweeney. Flaherty found his way back to the Tigers in free agency that offseason.

Keeping Mize on the field this season hasn’t been easy. He’s had multiple IL stints due to a nagging right adductor issue. Mize was removed in the fourth inning of his first start out of the All-Star break after taking a comebacker off his non-throwing hand. He recovered in time to take the ball against Kansas City.

Like Skubal, Mize is a pending free agent. He is playing on a $6.15MM contract after his final trip through the arbitration process. If he is traded, the acquiring team would be on the hook for a little less than $2MM for the rest of the year, assuming no cash is involved in the deal. Mize is one of several Tigers that could be headed out the door, along with Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, and Gleyber Torres.