Casey Mize and Javier Báez Exit Early as Injuries Shape Tigers' 5-2 Loss to Braves

On April 28, 2026 at Truist Park, the Tigers lost 5-2 to the Braves. Starter Casey Mize left after 2 1/3 innings with right groin tightness; Javier Báez exited in the fifth after a slide that injured his right ankle.

ESPN

Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick in 2020 and a 2025 All-Star, posted a 2.90 ERA over 31 innings this season. He previously missed time with left-hamstring strains and will be a free agent in November 2026. Javier Báez, a 33-year-old 2025 All-Star, is in the second-to-last year of a six-year, $140 million contract and was batting .256 with a .677 OPS before the injury.

USA Today

Mize threw 34 pitches, struck out three, allowed three hits, two runs and one walk in 2 1/3 innings for a 2.90 ERA. Báez went 0-for-2, hitting .256/.677, two homers and 16 strikeouts in 24 games. The Braves scored five runs, including a Brant Hurter sacrifice fly; Detroit had two.

ESPN

Manager A.J. Hinch called Báez’s injury “scary” and said the players will have MRIs before the next game. He and trainer Ryne Eubanks evaluated Mize, noted groin discomfort, and removed him. The club reported Mize’s exit as right groin tightness and Báez’s as a right ankle injury.

USA Today

• “It was kind of a gradual tightening,” — Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher

ESPN

• “We did some tests between innings and felt good enough to go back out there, but it just never really went away.” — Casey Mize

ESPN

• “That one looked scary,” — A.J. Hinch, Detroit Tigers manager

USA Today

Mize fielded a ground ball, threw to Spencer Torkelson for the out, then hopped on leg; no collision occurred. Báez hit a grounder to Mauricio Dubón, the throw to first was high, and his slide caused left foot to hit bag and right ankle to roll under his body. He stayed on ground, Kelly Rhoades and Anthony Sanders helped him onto a cart.

ESPN

Mize’s exit removes a top-of-rotation starter, straining the bullpen and affecting his free-agency market. Báez’s ankle injury sidelines an everyday player, moving Matt Vierling to center and Wenceel Pérez to right field, and raises uncertainty about his availability for his $140 million contract year.

Detroit Free Press

Sources differ on Báez’s injury—some call it a right ankle injury, others a right leg injury, with reports of the ankle “rolling” or “twisting.” No definitive diagnosis is available; an MRI is scheduled for April 29. Mize’s condition is uniformly reported as right groin tightness, but the precise medical classification remains unspecified.

USA Today

Both players will undergo MRIs before Detroit’s next game. The staff will decide Mize’s rotation status and Báez’s return timeline while adjusting the lineup to cover the injuries.

USA Today