Tarik Skubal Honors Casey Mize During All-Star Week They Earned Together

When Tarik Skubal takes the mound to start the All-Star Game for the American League, Casey Mize will be right there with him, not just as a teammate but as a friend who knows exactly what it took to get there.

Both pitchers missed significant time in 2022 with major injuries. Skubal was recovering from flexor tendon surgery. Mize underwent Tommy John. While the Tigers were on the road, those two stayed behind. Every day. Together.

“We both got hurt in the same season. We rehabbed together,” Skubal said Monday on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio pregame show. “We spent a ton of time together in Detroit. When the team was on the road, it was just me and him every day, pretty much.”

There were setbacks. Long days. A lot of frustration. Skubal said he watched Mize battle through every phase of it,  not just the injury, but the return.

“Coming back last year, not performing to the caliber that he expects himself to perform to,” Skubal said. “Then him coming back this year without a for-sure spot on the roster... and going out and earning everything. He’s earned this moment.”

Mize wasn’t handed anything this spring. He came into camp fighting for a spot. He left it pitching like the guy Detroit always hoped he’d be. His 3.38 ERA over 18 starts earned him a trip to the Midsummer Classic — his first.

For Skubal, watching it unfold has only made this All-Star week more meaningful.

“I couldn’t be more proud of him as a friend, but also as a teammate,” Skubal said. “He does everything right. He’s a first-class person, and a first-class teammate.”

And Tuesday night’s setting? Couldn’t be better. Mize, a Georgia native and lifelong Braves fan, will have family in the stands at Truist Park. Skubal’s hoping Mize gets into the game — not just because he deserves it, but because it’s personal.

“This means a lot to him,” Skubal said. “And it makes the moment that much more special.”