The Detroit Tigers suffered a double blow Wednesday when they moved pitcher Casey Mize and shortstop Javier Baez to the injured list following injuries sustained in Tuesday’s defeat against the Atlanta Braves.
Mize, age 27, was assigned to the 15-day injured list due to a right groin muscle strain. The 2025 All-Star showed signs of discomfort following a strikeout in the second inning and left the game in the third after making a throw to first base. His placement marks the eighth Tigers pitcher to land on the injured list and represents the second member of Detroit’s opening day starting rotation to be sidelined, alongside Justin Verlander who has been out since April 4 with left hip inflammation. Verlander participated in a bullpen workout on Wednesday.
“Probably the most optimistic news we can get on Casey, that it’s a Grade 1,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch told reporters before Wednesday’s game in Atlanta.
The three-time All-Star Baez was moved to the 10-day injured list after his right shoe got caught in the ground while sliding headfirst into first base during the fifth inning following a weak grounder. The 33-year-old veteran showed clear signs of pain and was removed from the contest.
“Javy’s (injury) is a pretty significant ankle sprain, so I don’t know what that means in terms of timeline, other than it’s a minimum of 15 days and if he’s back by then, that’s great. If it takes longer, it’s because of swelling and soreness,” Hinch said.
Through six outings in 2026, Mize holds a 2-2 record with a 2.90 ERA, recording 35 strikeouts against 11 walks with a 1.194 WHIP across 31 innings pitched. During his six-year tenure with Detroit, who chose him first overall in the 2018 amateur draft, Mize has compiled a 25-27 record with a 4.11 ERA across 95 appearances (93 as a starter). In 471 career innings, he has registered 400 strikeouts, 132 walks and maintains a 1.282 WHIP.
This season, Baez is batting .256 with two home runs and six runs batted in through 24 contests. Selected ninth overall by Chicago in the 2011 draft, he maintains a career .252 batting average with 195 home runs, 691 RBIs and 116 stolen bases spanning 13 seasons. Beyond his time with the Cubs (2014-21) and current stint with Detroit (2022-present), Baez also spent time with New York’s Mets in 2021.
With Baez unavailable, rookie Kevin McGonigle stands as the only healthy shortstop on Detroit’s active roster while Zach McKinstry recovers from left hip and abdominal inflammation. Prospect Hao-Yu Lee, ranked sixth in the organization by MLB Pipeline, represents another potential short-term solution during the absences of both Baez and McKinstry.
To fill the roster spots, Detroit promoted left-handed pitcher Enmanuel De Jesus and third baseman Jace Jung from Triple-A Toledo.
Jung, 25, entered Wednesday’s starting lineup against Atlanta as the designated hitter for his first appearance of the season, while McGonigle received the starting assignment at shortstop. A first-round selection (12th overall) by Detroit in 2022, Jung made his major league debut in 2024. Entering Tuesday’s action, Jung had posted a .190 batting average with six RBIs across 55 games over two seasons.
De Jesus, 29, earned a spot on the opening day roster as a relief pitcher, compiling a 1-0 record with a 10.13 ERA through six outings covering eight innings. He reached the majors for the first time in 2023 with Miami, recording an 11.37 ERA in two relief appearances with the Marlins.
