Atlanta — The Tigers on Wednesday placed pitcher Casey Mize and shortstop-center fielder Javier Báez on the injured list.
Both were injured during the Tigers’ 5-2 loss to the Braves on Tuesday night. Mize suffered a Grade 1 (mild) right groin strain. Báez, who rolled his right ankle on an awkward half-slide at first base, was diagnosed with a severe sprain.
“We got probably the most optimistic news we could get on Casey,” manager AJ Hinch said. “Báez has a pretty significant sprain. I don’t know what that means in terms of a timeline but he was clearly not able to play today or the coming days.”
The Tigers called up two players from Triple-A Toledo to fill the void. Lefty Enmanuel De Jesus, who was optioned back to Toledo on April 22, was called up and will work out of the bullpen.
Utility player Jace Jung, a left-handed hitter, was called up to replace Báez.
With Báez down, as well as Zach McKinstry (hip/abdomen inflammation), rookie Kevin McGonigle is the only true shortstop not only on the active roster, but also on the 40-man roster.
“Hao-Yu Lee has played there in the past,” Hinch said. “It’s not an ideal situation right now.”
McGonigle is going to have to shoulder the bulk of the playing time at shortstop, at least until McKinstry can get back, which isn’t going to be for at least another week.
McKinstry has been taking live batting practice in Lakeland and could start a rehab assignment as early as this weekend. He will likely start that assignment with the Low-A Lakeland team.
“We shouldn’t fast-forward him; we have to do a full recovery for him,” Hinch said. “He is going into his game progression in the next few days and we’ll watch him and listen to him and see how he’s moving. But we need to separate that from the need right now.”
Hinch said McKinstry, at a minimum, will need to play three or more rehab games.
“I don’t know what this means for the next series or the series after that,” Hinch said. “But we need to pay attention to Z-Mac and his rehab. We can’t fast-forward it just to make us feel better on paper but not functionally better if he can’t do all the things we need him to do.”
Mize will continue to throw while he takes treatment on the groin. Hinch said the hope is that it will require no more than the minimum 15 days.
“But coming down the (mound), a lower body injury, he wasn’t going to make his start in four days,” Hinch said. “That made it impossible to carry him.”
As for replacing him in the rotation, the Tigers aren’t likely to call up a starter from Toledo.
Mize’s next scheduled start would be Sunday. It’s possible the Tigers could deploy a bullpen start against the Rangers. They have off days on Thursday (May 7) and the following Monday (May 11) where they might be able to get by without a fifth starter.
Jung, who had a productive spring and was carrying a .358 on-base average and .721 OPS at Toledo, was in the lineup Wednesday as the designated hitter.
“My main goal this spring was just to make the team,” Jung said. “It didn’t work out, but that’s OK. I did everything I possibly could to make it and that’s the only thing I can put on myself, just knowing I did everything humanly possible.”
Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers place Casey Mize and Javier Báez on IL; De Jesus, Jung called up
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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