Casey Mize walked off the mound after four scoreless innings on May 27 against the Angels with right groin tightness, and now the Detroit Tigers are heading into a division series at Chicago without one of their few reliable starters.
According to Yahoo Sports, Mize struck out six and allowed no runs before leaving that start. He said the sensation was in the same area as an earlier injury, though it did not feel as severe. It was his third start back from the injured list following a right adductor strain he suffered on April 28 in Atlanta.
The Tigers enter the May 29-31 series at the White Sox with Mize listed as day-to-day. The probable starters for Chicago are Troy Melton on Friday, Framber Valdez on Saturday, and Keider Montero on Sunday. As of Thursday, no formal injured list move had been announced.
Mize played catch Thursday and was awaiting MRI results. The next question is not only whether he lands on the IL but how long this latest groin problem will keep him out.
The timing is difficult for Detroit. When Mize returned from his first absence on May 16, he did not need a rehab assignment. He went straight to six scoreless innings against Toronto, giving the rotation immediate length. The Tigers were getting back a pitcher the organization had already identified as important to a rotation that had been hit hard by injuries.
Detroit opened the weekend at 22-35. The White Sox were 29-27, putting Chicago in a stronger position in the division matchup.
The current weekend rotation plan shows how quickly things shift when Mize is unavailable. Whether the MRI results lead to another IL stint will determine how the Tigers manage the rotation beyond this series.
