Casey Mize, one of the San Diego Padres’ most crucial additions leading up to the recent trade deadline, shockingly exited his Saturday start after spraining his right ankle on the dugout steps. This wasn’t some fluke play on the field, or a pitch gone wild, but a freak accident that could seriously derail a team finally finding its stride.
The Bizarre Mishap That Took Down a Crucial Arm
Can you believe this? Mize, a right-handed starting pitcher, was just heading back to the dugout between the second and third innings when it happened. His “drive” leg, that crucial right ankle, got caught on the edge of a step. He tried to catch himself, but ended up rolling his ankle on the bottom step. Seriously, how often do you hear about a pitcher going down like *that*? He actually went back out for the third inning after getting his ankle taped, because that’s the kind of competitor he is, but he just couldn’t complete the frame. The good news, thankfully, is that imaging on his injured ankle came back negative, and he is currently classified as day-to-day. Still, talk about a gut punch when you’re trying to make a run.
From Tigers Ace to Padres Puzzle, Now Sidelined
This injury compounds a somewhat rocky start for Mize with his new club. In that Saturday start against the Twins, a game the Padres eventually won 7-5, he gave up four runs and three home runs in just 2 ⅔ innings. That pushes his ERA with the Padres to a rough 7.00 across four starts. You just know that’s not what the Padres brass expected when they made him a key trade deadline acquisition. It’s a stark contrast to his pre-trade work with the Tigers, where he posted a fantastic 2.70 ERA and a 2.56 FIP over 16 starts. The guy is a 29-year-old talent, slated for free agency this coming offseason, so you know he’s itching to get back out there and show what he can do.
Right now, the Padres, under first-year manager Craig Stammen, are sitting at a solid 70-60. They’re in third wild-card position in the NL, riding a hot streak of 14-6 so far in August. They’re clawing their way towards qualifying for the playoffs for the fifth time in the last seven years, and losing a crucial rotation piece to a dugout step accident is just brutal timing. Mize’s immediate focus has to be on rehabbing and getting back to help this squad, because they absolutely need him if they want to keep this momentum rolling into October.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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