A pair of injured Tigers faced off in live batting practice yesterday, highlighting their progress towards returning to action. Outfielder Kerry Carpenter and right-hander Casey Mize both looked good during the session, which included a long home run and a single off Mize by Carpenter.
Carpenter, 27 in September, has been on the IL since May due to a lumbar spine stress fracture. He was in the midst of an incredible season when he hit the shelf, slashing a fantastic .283/.347/.572 with 10 doubles, four triples, and eight home runs in just 50 games. That performance was good enough for an excellent wRC+ of 149, and Carpenter’s return from the shelf should provide a big boost to the Tigers lineup down the stretch even as they’ve largely fallen out of playoff contention at this point. That return could be just over the horizon, as Carpenter told reporters (including Chris McCoskey of The Detroit News) yesterday that he’ll “probably” be starting a rehab assignment sometime this week. With both Carpenter and Riley Greene on the IL at the moment, the Tigers are currently relying on an outfield of Matt Vierling, Wenceel Perez, and Parker Meadows.
Despite the damage dealt by Carpenter, Mize also reportedly looked good during his two innings of work yesterday. As noted by MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, Greene (who also faced Mize yesterday) told reporters that the right-hander looked good and threw all of his pitches with confidence during the outing. Mize, who has been on the shelf for just over a month now due a hamstring strain, won’t be eligible to return from the 60-day IL until August 31 but could begin a rehab assignment of his own at some point in the near future as he builds back up towards MLB action. Mize’s 16 starts this year have been something of a mixed bag with a league average 4.23 ERA but a much stronger 3.69 FIP in 78 2/3 innings of work, though getting on the field at all was a meaningful step for the first overall pick of the 2018 draft after he made just two starts in 2022 and missed the whole 2023 campaign due to Tommy John surgery.
Mize’s eventual return to the rotation for the Tigers is sure to be a welcome one given the relatively dire situation the club’s starting staff has found itself in recently. After the club dealt Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers at the deadline and saw Reese Olson join Mize on the shelf due to shoulder strain late last month, the club is facing plenty of uncertainty behind ace Tarik Skubal. Rookies Bryan Sammons and Keider Montero have struggled to ERAs north of 5.00 and 6.00 respectively as fill-in starters this year while veteran righty Kenta Maeda had a 7.26 ERA in 16 starts before being moved to the bullpen just before the All-Star break.
Maeda has pitched somewhat better since moving to the bullpen, with a 4.40 ERA and a stronger 4.14 FIP in 14 1/3 innings of work across four appearances. As noted by Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, manager A.J. Hinch recently told reporters that while the club expects the veteran to rejoin the rotation proper at some point, their current plan is to keep him in the bullpen for the time being while trying to get him “regular work that’s similar to a starting pitcher.” So far, that’s seemed to mean using Maeda as a bulk arm following an opener while mostly keeping him on a starting pitcher’s schedule. The Tigers are surely hoping that the 36-year-old can get right in the final months of the 2024 season as they look ahead to the final year of his two-year, $24MM contract in 2025.
Always seemed there was a disconnect between Casey Mize and the Tigers. It appeared an uncomfortable pairing from the start.
Could also be frustration from Detroit. Lots of time injured
What are you referring to? There has been no bad blood on either side. Just frustration at the injuries.
Assuming Mize needs three rehab starts to ramp up, it looks like he is going to close to an August 31 return. He would have had to start a rehab assignment no later than this week to have made it back before. Management was probably looking at an innings limit anyway, since he hadn’t pitched in nearly 2 years. What made the decision odd is that there was no shortage of DFA candidates on the roster at the time. Clearly, management decided to take a wait till next year approach with him, for better or worse.
Not to mention the trade deadline being a few days later that opened up no fewer than 4 spots on the 40man
Last night was the first time I actually got to see Sammons pitch. He pitched one inning and yielded nothing. I thought he looked pretty good.
Parker Meadows looked amazing.
Parker is right there with Buxton for being best defensive CF in AL. He just needs to continue trying to shorten his naturally extended swing path due to his long/lanky frame, but man…when he’s “on” hes one helluva exciting player
The only good thing to come out of Mize and Olson being hurt, Flaherty being traded and Maeda sucking is they get to audition a bunch of arms like Montero, Madden and Sammons (and hopefully Lockhart). They can figure out who might be an option for the #4 or #5 spots next year and if no one looks good maybe they will sign a free agent or trade for someone.
Same thing with the offense.
Time to fill those holes this offseason.
Rotation for 2025 should be Skubal, Olsen, Mize, Jobe and one of Manning, Maeda, Sawyer-Gibson, Hurter, Montero, Madden or a FA pickup. Obviously need depth in the rotation as evidenced by this year, but the pieces are there to field a decent rotation as long as our cheapskate owner and brainless FO don’t mess it up
I don’t see the Tigers rushing Jobe. He needs to build up innings, and his injury this year didn’t allow that. I wouldn’t expect him until Fall 25-Spring 26 at the earliest. As to filling the holes, Chris I is not opening his pocketbook. Figure they will sign another reclamation starting pitcher, and a cheap veteran RH bat.
If they were actually trying to move the needle, sign Burnes to pair with Skubal, Kim to play SS, Bregman for 3B, and O’Neill for LF. I’d also add a true closer, but I can’t see Hinch leaving him in the closer role. Just wishful thinking.
No reason to rush Jobe.
He could be the Tigers next Verlander.
Unless the Tigers locate more hitters to help them
make a playoffs run in ’25, then Jobe should not be called up until mid to late ’25 or June ’26.
That will give the Tigers maximum time of control for their next serious run of contention.
With Kenya Maeda making so much through next season, the Tigers can’t give up on him. He’s a 37 year old project. What was the front office thinking? He was almost never healthy in Minnesota.
Maeda pitched just fine for the Twins the 2nd half of last season. He was brought in as a mid rotation starter to eat innings. Sadly he became very inconsistent. Flaherty was the project pitcher. He was a hot mess last season after being traded to Baltimore. Nobody complains about him and he signed for as much as Maeda.
Jack Flaherty was 28; Maeda 35.
Was putting Mize on the 60 day a blunder or a message from Pee Wee Harris that Casey’s attitude is going to get him traded? A couple years back Mize campaigned to be the union rep and was enthralled with Mad Max and his anti-owner stance. Max never mentions that he’s made a little over $351M from those owners for throwing a baseball at a guy with a stick, but “solidarity forever” eh? Mize never got over going 1-1 and believes he is elite despite a record that says otherwise. If I were guessing about him, I’d guess since he was an Aliva hire, he ain’t long for these parts.
Yeah that 3 million option for next year they signed him to is no guarantee. I can see why he is campaigning to get back on the field and get some more starts under his belt. Lots of kids should get auditions the next two months.
It was neither. It was simply an easy way to keep from having to DFA someone off the 40 man to fill a temporary roster need. Mize wasn’t getting reinstated until almost the 60 day limit and is obviously on an innings limit and they needed the 40 man spot. The used this explanation when they put him on the 60. No games or theatrics, just common sense.
Wrong…he now can’t be activated until the end of August but would be ready to go late this week. Like I said….well, I assume you can read although not very well.
“Pee Wee Harris”?
A riled-up Tigers fan Miss Wy-Vonne is coming to lift her petticoats and kick you in the nether regions, deservedly so.
She’ll break her foot….solid brass.
Not understanding why Scott Harris and the Tigers did not insist on
getting at least one major league ready STARTING PITCHER pitcher in the Flaherty deal with the Dodgers: Frasso? Ryan? Hurt? Wrobleski?
It makes no sense to me!
Tigers received a few decent prospects, but a better deal would have been to get one major league ready starter and another prospect.
OR, bite the bullet keep Flaherty and take the draft pick.
Alternatively, the Tigers have two young pitchers in the pen who came up as starters and have been effective starters in the past:
Breske and Feudo have both has some success as spot starters.
Put the new guys and promotions in the bullpen
and put Breske and Feudo in the rotation
until Mize and Olson are ready to rejoin the team.
It is so simple and straightforward, but the Tigers brass are
running out guys from AAA as starters who are not ready to start in the major leagues, but they could get their feet wet in the bullpen and be ready at some point.
Tigers FO tandem of Harris/Greenberg are not that smart nor full of common sense. They’re protecting Chris I’s wallet vs keeping this team watchable. It’s a horrible situation and I’m amazed any fans are still willing to waste their money by going to Comerica Park. Time to take a stand Fans vs. enabling a cheap owner and bad FO
The Tigers gave the 2 year deal to the wrong starter: Kenta Maeda.
It should have been Flaherty.
It may have increased his trade value.
And, it would have given the Tigers the option to just hold onto him
until the off-season or the next trade deadline.
Flaherty was awful last September so no you would not have expected this .. still got 14 mil
Also I think I read he wanted a one year deal.
Could have worked in a team option while offering 14M
In hindsight yes, Detroit should’ve given that “massive” 2 year deal to Flaherty.. Of course no one said that during the off season since Maeda looked to be a relatively safe bet as a mid rotation guy whereas Flaherty was a complete reclamation project.
Flaherty was a better bounceback candidate based on his age, his status as a former top prospect, and he had some success with the Cardinals.
I believe they put mize on the 60 to save him from himself. Coming off tj and been inconsistent so take your time. We need him next year
Flaherty was a great signing b/c Chris Fetter can turn nearly any pitchers struggles around. Maeda was a dumb FA signing by Harris. Even though his ERA was decent in the 2nd half for MIN last season, his peripherals weren’t nearly as good. When his slider is flat he gets CRUSHED and it’s been flat all year. And this FO proved its worth at the deadline just last week! You get absolutely nada for the best rental in MLB, while the Jays get a haul for Kikuchi and Miami of all teams gets Connor Norby plus prospects for Rogers? This is even worse than what bonehead Avila got for Verlander back in the day! I have zero faith in Chris Harris GM abilities nor Chris Illitch’s wallet for 2025. Hopefully I’m wrong….
Warrior78….I agree with you, but it’s Scott Harris, “boy wonder, extraordinaire, who believes he is the smartest man in the room”.
Scott Harris made his name with the Giants finding unheralded and underachieving talent around the league and developing it and turning it into very good, achieving major leaguers.
We are seeing flashes of it with Malloy and a few others.
Flaherty and Carson Kelly were nice pickups.
The Tigers and their fans just need to see more of it especially on the hitting and position player side.
Whether Mize limped through his last year of college ball matters not anymore. I thought okay so he waited till pro ball to really let it out till his arm failed, and so it happened. If they can help him do good next season to move him, great. If not he’s not going to cost a fortune.
The coming jam up with the position players when Carpenter and Greene comes back is real. That;s probably a great problem to have, and they do have their fair share of injuries. How do you sit Malloy and Perez ? If you add Meadows back in that’s 5 outfield bats that I’d like to see play everyday. You can always say a few of these guys get injured every year so it’ll all work out, and that may be so. Still I’d like to see one of them learn to play first base.
I’d let Carp, Meadows, Malloy & Perez man the OF the rest of the year and preserve Riley at DH. In fact, if Tork flames out, I’d like to see Riley learn some 1B. Riley’s health is paramount for this rebuild.
The rest of the season still has importance as far as player evaluation. I want to watch the progression of Carp, Meadows, Malloy & Perez, along with Dingler & Colt.
I still have hope for Mize. I’m not quite ready to give up on Manning, either. Both should get starts down the stretch. I wouldn’t be against stretching Faedo out as a starter next season if he could add one more pitch.
Yes, we have a lot of good bats for O.F. and D.H., it would be nice if Tork is only part time lefty’s only to have one learn first base. It’s going to be interesting, most of the starters they drafted years ago are going to be F.A.;s soon, so who knows how it will all play out.
I’m sure you were one of the inebriated, cross-eyed talent evaluators who called Tork a “bust” before he hit 31 and drove in 94…and then went quiet, muttering to yourself and hoping nobody remembered. 1B is Tork’s and despite Hinch trying to bushwack him, will return a hitter with a few less HRs and a higher BA….watch and learn.
Hilarious. I hope he can come back too, but it remains to be seen if he can be the guy. Part time works on this team. Well Lee, you crack me up. I hope Carpenter is the one to move to first base.
I saw the new Tiger fan motto the other day: “When will we wyn?”……
In 84 we had that old hit song………..packed up my bags, told the old lady to kiss my &&&, we;re going to party down, yah yah, we’re going to Tiger town, what a blast what a hoot.
And now you’re 70, the old lady is long gone, and you hoot when you go for a deep breath.
What a hoot. The old lady is never gone, retired and living large with occasional oxygen support. Trump will be back soon, and with the oxygen colds, or flu’s are a thing of the past. Never got injected, so never got the covid either. Life is good. Tigers rule !
If you were Chris Ilitch would you trust Pee Wee to spend millions of your pizza bucks on free agents? Those shop kitchens are blazing hot in summer, they only make $4 a pizza….that’s a lot of sweat equity to see blown by SF yuppie scum. He gave Matt Boyd TEN MILLION DOLLARS to come back and blow up (again) in one of his first moves. I’d have fired him on the spot.