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    • Tigers’ Mize continues to roll with the punches
    Suffolk

    Tigers’ Mize continues to roll with the punches

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

    Detroit – This has been such a crazy season for Casey Mize, with so many unexpected and unwanted twists and turns, so forgive him if all he wants to do is embrace this final playoff push and ride the crest of this wave the Tigers have been riding for a long time are last two months.

    “I just want to play and be a part of it,” he said before Wednesday’s game. “So I’m willing to do whatever I need to do.”

    Let’s look at the following:

    After completing a grueling rehabilitation process, returning from back and elbow surgeries, and just as he was beginning his first healthy spring in two years, there was a brief contract crisis.

    He was arbitration eligible and the Tigers’ offer was $25,000 lower than his and they wanted to take it to arbitration first.

    Smarter heads prevailed and the two sides agreed to a one-year, $830,000 contract for 2024 with a $3.1 million club option for 2025, which both sides knew would never be exercised.

    Mize simply dismissed it all as part of the deal.

    “I can’t look at this from a personal perspective and neither can you,” he said at the time. “It’s just, ‘Hey, the data tells us this is what your numbers should look like.’ In my opinion, we thought differently. And then we were able to solve it. That’s it. Tons of players go through this and there is nothing personal about it.

    “I love being a Tiger as much today as I did when I was first drafted, or two years ago, or whenever. I love it here. There’s no bad blood with anyone here.”

    Then the season came and it was predictably rocky as they were two years removed from competition. In the beginning there were highlights and there were fights.

    On June 30, he suffered a hamstring strain during a strong performance against the Angels in Anaheim (5.1 scoreless innings).

    This injury resulted in him being unable to play for two months. When he began his first rehab assignment, the team placed him on the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the roster.

    Again, he didn’t like the move, but the team was down to three starting pitchers at that point and he wanted to be able to help. But he accepted it and tried to make the best of it.

    He returned on August 30 and made four starts before manager AJ Hinch announced over the weekend that Mize would work out of the bullpen for the series against the Orioles and Rays.

    “It’s different,” he said of his new – albeit temporary – role. “It’s a change. But they asked a lot of people to do different things. So I’m definitely ready and want to do what I can.”

    Mize is as routine-oriented as can be, so getting used to a bullpen routine on the fly was a challenge.

    “It’s just a matter of staying ready,” he said. “But I like doing it. There have been a lot of different roles for a lot of different people over the last two months and I’m definitely ready to do whatever I need to do.”

    It was strange watching him walk single file to the bullpen with the other relievers before the game. He has a lot of new rules to learn down there.

    “It’s cool,” he said. “It was the first time I was here at home in the bunker. I had to learn where I was sitting and learn the ropes. But they’re a fun group down there.”

    There’s a chance Mize could start one of the games against the White Sox this weekend, but Hinch hasn’t announced pitching plans yet.

    Todd, the painter

    Take a look at who will be on the mound for the Rays’ finale on Thursday.

    Former Tigers left-hander Tyler Alexander He is expected to provide major relief after an opening game. It’s his first time on the Comerica Park mound since June 23 of last season.

    He was placed on the injured list shortly thereafter and the Tigers did not offer him a contract in the offseason, ending his ten-year tenure with the Tigers.

    “The atmosphere here (Tuesday) was really cool,” Alexander said, referring to the lively matinee crowd at Comerica. “We didn’t see that too often when I was here. And when we did that, it was for reasons other than the good team.”

    The sellouts at Comerica Park the last two seasons have been due to one of two motives Miguel Cabrera Milestone hunts or Cabrera celebrations.

    “It was cool to see,” Alexander said.

    He admitted, like many in the industry, that he didn’t expect the Tigers to become so good so quickly.

    “I asked a few of the guys, ‘What the hell happened?'” he said, laughing. “The team hasn’t changed that much since the beginning of the year. The boys said they were just young and didn’t know any better.

    “But the fact is that they only performed in situations where they had to. Like (Tuesday), a big hit.”

    It’s not lost on Alexander that part of the Tigers’ turnaround was fueled by the opener-bulk reliever strategy. That’s the role Alexander played exceptionally well at times for the Tigers, and that’s the role he plays now for the Rays.

    “It makes sense,” he said. “With all the young people they have, they can limit the time they have to complete the bulk of the order. I’m glad it worked out for them.”

    Around the Horn

    … Hinch said he sent a congratulatory text to the Astros manager Joe Espada after winning the American League West title on Tuesday. Espada was Hinch’s backup coach in Houston. “I do that with a lot of managers in the league,” he said. “Because I know the joy that night brings. These are big moments for teams across the league.”

    … Hinch doesn’t want to name names, but there is a group of Triple-A players, a taxi squad, training in Toledo to be ready in the event of an injury or other necessary move. “They are on site with a few employees who train daily and measure blood pressure live. There are a few pitchers and a few position players. In the event that something happens this week or decisions are made that could lead to the next step later, we can get there.”

    … Teams are allowed to carry an emergency catcher during the playoffs that can be activated in the event of an injury. However, the Tigers are in a bind there. veteran Anthony Bemboomwho is Toledo’s primary catcher most of the year, is sidelined due to concussion symptoms. Another veteran, Tomas NidoHe was signed last week, too late to be on the playoff roster. The likely candidate for the taxi squad is a left-handed catcher Stephen Scott.

    …One of the gloves proudly displayed in Rookie Jackson JobeThe locker is hard to miss. The leather is tiger orange in color. “It’s definitely my tournament glove,” he said. “I had to go all orange. I like this look. Hopefully we play away next week and I get the chance to take advantage of it.”

    [email protected]

    @cmccosky

    Radiance at Tigers

    First pitch: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park

    TV/Radio: Bally Sports Detroit, 97.1

    Scouting report:

    ▶ LHP Tyler Alexander (6-5, 5.35), Rays: The former Tiger won’t be in the starting lineup, but is expected to pitch big innings after an opening game, which has been his job for most of the season. He had a strong performance against the Blue Jays (4.1 scoreless innings, 2 hits, 6 strikeouts). He has added a sweeper to his mix this season and it is holding hitters to a .232 average. It will be his first appearance at Comerica Park since June 23, 2023.

    ▶ RHP Reese Olson (4-8, 3.49), Tigers: This is his third appearance off the injured list and he ended his last start with a retirement Gunnar Henderson, Cedric Mullins And Anthony Santander to end the third inning. He threw 58 pitches. The Tigers are hoping he can be efficient early and possibly get through the Rays order a few times.

    [email protected]

    @cmccosky

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    Caradoc Wyn
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