Casey Mize undergoing tests for groin issue

He struck out none, and in, fact, only had two whiffs all game on 37 swings. What a magician. Montero allowed seven hard-hit balls, but that’s to be expected with the lack of swing-and-miss in his game. He’s had three good starts (one or fewer runs allowed) and two bad (four and five earned runs allowed) since returning to the rotation. Montero will start against the Pirates early next week.

Mize was effective, but not in an especially encouraging way. He generated just six whiffs, though he did get 21 called strikes for a 33 percent CSW. His velocity, which was well down in his final start for the Tigers before returning to normal on 10 days’ rest last week in his otherwise miserable Padres debut (8 ER in 3 1/3 IP versus Arizona), was back down a little tonight; his fastball was 0.7 mph lower than his season average and his slider was down 1.4 mph. He doesn’t seem like quite as good of a bet now as he did earlier in the season in Detroit, but in a nice situation in San Diego, he’s probably worth sticking with in mixed leagues. He’ll pitch in Cleveland on Sunday.

Montero punched out five batters on the night while issuing three free passes. He served up a two-run homer to Rafael Devers in the opening inning and allowed a two-out, two-run single to Jung Ho Lee in the second before settling in. The other run came on a solo blast from Willy Adames in the fifth. Montero got nine whiffs on 82 pitches on the night, posting a CSW of 34 percent. He’ll look to bounce back as he carries a 3.38 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and an 86/28 K/BB ratio (122 1/3 innings) into Thursday’s showdown against the Guardians.

Well, the good news is that Mize’s velocity decline in his final start as a Tiger didn’t carry over. Pitching on 10 days’ rest, he was right back at his season average of 93.5 mph with his fastball tonight. However, after two scoreless frames, Mize surrendered two runs in the third and six in the fourth. The eight runs and nine hits allowed were both season highs. Three walks also matched his season high; he hadn’t done that since Apr. 22. We imagine he’ll bounce back next week against the Brewers, but this was not the first impression he was looking for.

San Diego manager Craig Stammen added that Robbie Ray will make his debut against the Astros on Friday. Mize was a last-minute addition at the trade deadline after posting a strong 2.70 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 85/19 K/BB ratio across 86 2/3 innings for the Tigers. He’s been battling some lingering groin issues throughout the year, but he’s ready to roll this week after heading out west.

Mize bolsters a San Diego rotation that has been one of the worst in baseball this season with Detroit continuing their full-scale teardown. The 29-year-old former first-overall pick has put together one of his best seasons, despite battling through lingering groin issues that have impacted his availability and performance, posting a strong 2.70 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 85/19 K/BB ratio across 86 2/3 innings of work.

San Diego manages to fortify its starting rotation, which has been one of the worst in baseball this season, by landing Mize just ahead of the buzzer at the trade deadline. The 29-year-old has battled through lingering groin issues this season, managing to post a stellar 2.70 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 85/19 K/BB ratio across 86 2/3 innings of work.

This was nice to see after Montero had arguably his worst start of the season last time out against the Orioles. That’s especially the case considering he was pitching in Sacramento. Montero was far from dominant — he had just two strikeouts and didn’t register his first one until the sixth inning — but he threw strikes and did a good job getting ahead in the count. The 26-year-old has been a surprising success story this season with a 3.17 ERA through 18 starts and six relief appearances. He’s a recommended play in his next start against the Giants in San Francisco.

With Tarik Skubal off the board, Mize now stands out as the top rental option remaining on the trade market for team’s looking to upgrade their starting rotation. The Braves and Diamondbacks have already been linked to him, with Heyman noting that the Cubs, Rays, Padres and Yankees could be suitors as well. Expect Mize to be donning a new jersey the next time that he takes the mound.

Mize is not hurt, but with the trade deadline looming, and the right-hander potential being dealt, the Tigers don’t want to risk anything. Of course, we should also note that Mize sat 91.9 mph on his four-seam fastball in his last outing and dipped under 90 mph multiple times. If he were to go out there and do that again on Friday, it would no doubt impact his potential trade market. The Tigers will instead go with Ty Madden to start a bullpen game.