Padres Place Casey Mize on 15-Day IL Days Before Postseason
The short version
- The Padres placed Casey Mize on the 15-day IL ahead of the postseason.
- Mize, acquired from Detroit at the deadline, posted a 7.46 ERA in San Diego after a 2.70 mark with the Tigers.
- The move activated Gavin Sheets, who will be limited to DH and pinch-hitting roles.
- Randy Vásquez is in line to replace Mize in the rotation.
- Michael King, Nick Pivetta and Walker Buehler are the likely Wild Card series starters.
San Diego shelved the struggling right-hander, acquired from Detroit at the deadline, as Gavin Sheets returned from the injured list.
The San Diego Padres placed right-handed pitcher Casey Mize on the 15-day injured list on Friday, just days before the start of the postseason. The move came after a difficult stint in San Diego for the pitcher the club acquired from the Detroit Tigers at the 2026 trade deadline.
Mize arrived with strong credentials. At the time of the trade, he had pitched to a 2.70 ERA and ranked among the best pitchers in the American League. He is a rental player who will become a free agent once the postseason begins.
The return Detroit received was surprisingly modest: two prospects, neither of whom ranked among MLB's top 100. Reports have suggested Mize may have been dealing with a groin injury at the time, and scouts indicated that issue could explain why his trade value dropped so sharply.
His Padres tenure began poorly. In his first start on August 5, Mize allowed eight runs in 3 1/3 innings, the worst start of his career. He rebounded with two solid outings, giving up two runs over his next 12 frames, but those proved to be his last effective appearances.
From that point on, Mize allowed three or more runs in every start except one on September 14. His ERA ballooned from 2.70 overall to 4.32, and he posted a 7.46 mark in a Padres uniform. He has now surrendered more home runs (13) than starts made (10).
The low point came Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park, when Mize gave up a leadoff home run to Lars Nootbaar on the first pitch. He went on to allow seven runs in four innings, including three home runs.
Health may be a factor. Mize twisted his ankle on the dugout steps during a late-August start against the Minnesota Twins and tried to pitch through it but could not. He appears to have been pitching on the injured ankle ever since, which has affected his performance. The Padres may have waited to acknowledge the issue until their playoff spot was secured.
The roster move allowed slugger Gavin Sheets to come off the injured list. Sheets is expected to be limited to pinch-hitting and designated hitter duties, but his bat adds depth. In the rotation, Randy Vásquez is positioned to step in. He has a 2.66 ERA over his last seven relief appearances and a 2.80 ERA over his last seven starts, having spent most of the season anchoring the rotation behind Walker Buehler and Michael King.
The Padres' plans for the playoffs remain on course. Michael King, Nick Pivetta and Walker Buehler are the likely starters for the upcoming three-game Wild Card series. Fans can catch the Diamondbacks at the Padres on Saturday, September 26 at 8:40 PM EDT at Petco Park on MLB.TV, Padres.TV or DBACKS.TV.
