As the Tigers wait on Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal, Mize and Skubal aren't just waiting on their own health. Not if they've listened to Scott Harris, who has issued the pitchers a challenge as they heal their injured arms.
"I’ve challenged both of them to not just wait it out," Harris said Wednesday on 97.1 The Ticket. "I’ve challenged them to be resourceful and find ways to get better while they’re down. There’s a lot of things you can do while you’re recovering from surgery that can ensure that the version that comes back healthy and on the field at Comerica Park is better than the one that left."
While Mize and Skubal will begin this season rehabbing in Lakeland, Harris said the Tigers are "going to bring them to Detroit regularly" to collaborate with their healthy rotation mates and pitching coaches Chris Fetter, Juan Nieves and newcomer Robin Lund.
"We’re going to challenge them to game-plan with the starting pitchers that are healthy and to sort of serve as shadow pitching coaches, because we think that is going to help bring out a better version of them when they get back on the mound," Harris said.
Skubal, 26, underwent flexor tendon surgery on his left elbow last August. Mize, 25, underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last June. Just like that, the Tigers lost their two most talented pitchers for a good chunk of 2023, quite possibly the duration of 2023 in the case of Mize, who also had back surgery after his elbow surgery to fix a lingering lumbar issue.
Per the Tigers' medical update issued this week, Skubal is 'completing his throwing progression and playing catch four times a week,' while Mize is 'in the initial stage of his throwing progression.' Harris said they've "hit all the checkpoints in their rehab," but the Tigers new president of baseball ops isn't ready to put return dates on either of them.
At the very least, Skubal can be expected back before Mize.
"As far as timetables, we gotta be realistic about the information that we actually have right now," Harris said. "It’s a little early to forecast exact dates for their returns. They are making great progress down in Lakeland, their bodies feel great and they are bringing the right mindset to the rehab, but we’re going to need to see a little bit more progress before we can project an exact date on when they’re going to be back."
In his first and only full big-league season, Mize pitched to a 3.71 ERA across 30 starts in 2021. He made just two starts last season before going down for the year. Skubal was enjoying his own breakout season in 2022 with a 3.52 ERA through 21 starts before hitting the shelf himself. They remain central figures of the Tigers' future.
If they answer Harris' challenge, they'll come back even better than before.
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