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Javier Báez out with ankle injury; Tigers lead AL Central

4/29/2026

24 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Javier Báez Carted Off

Javier Báez was carted off with a right ankle injury after his foot was caught on a slide in the 5-2 loss to Atlanta on April 29, 2026.
He will have an MRI on April 30, 2026, while manager A.J. Hinch said play looked scary and sent Wencel Perez to replace him.
Báez is batting .263 as Detroit sits 15-14 and leads the AL Central.

Summary

Mize Exits

Casey Mize left the game in the third inning because of right groin tightness.
He had thrown 34 pitches, allowing three hits, two runs, one walk and striking out three over 2 1/3 innings.
Reliever Brant Hurter replaced Mize and gave up a sacrifice fly that charged a run to Mize, raising his earned run average to 2.90.
Mize, an All-Star last season, posted a 14-6 record with a 3.86 ERA.

History

Historical Context

Mark Prior’s career unraveled after a 2009 shoulder and elbow injury that led to his release, echoing a broader rise in UCL damage that has made Tommy John surgery routine—by 2023, 35 % of active MLB pitchers had undergone the procedure. Efforts such as MLB’s Pitch Smart program aim to curb the overuse that fuels these injuries.

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Javier Báez Carted Off

Javier Báez was carted off with a right ankle injury after his foot was caught on a slide in the 5-2 loss to Atlanta on April 29, 2026.
He will have an MRI on April 30, 2026, while manager A.J. Hinch said play looked scary and sent Wencel Perez to replace him.
Báez is batting .263 as Detroit sits 15-14 and leads the AL Central.

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