Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize will undergo Tommy John and miss the rest of the 2022 season.

The first overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, Casey Mize, who has not pitched since April 14th, will have to undergo Tommy John surgery according to Detroit Tigers manager A.J.Hinch said during his talk to the media in the dugout on Friday.

Casey Mize will undergo Tommy John surgery per manager A.J.Hinch. pic.twitter.com/CFmpyXfFNQ
— Woodward Tigers (@WoodwardTigers) June 10, 2022

Hinch explained as best as he could the nature of the injury. He does not have a torn UCL, the ligament itself is not working properly.

Asked A.J. Hinch why it can take so long to determine surgery is needed. Mize first went on the IL on April 15 and was shut down twice in his recovery.
Hinch answered the question as best he could. Mize still doesn't have a torn UCL. Just a ligament that isn't functioning. pic.twitter.com/vRDnqYpkXi
— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) June 10, 2022

Detroit Tigers pitching depth being stretched

The Tigers have been able to navigate through the injuries as pitchers like Beau Brieske and Alex Faedo have stepped up in his absence. Mize joins an extensive list of Tigers players who have had TJ surgery. Here is a list via MLB Player Analysis:

Max Green	3/23/2022	DET	AA	P	R
Zack Hess	1/26/2022	DET	AA	P	R
Jake Rogers	9/8/2021	DET	MLB	C	R
Spencer Turnbull	7/29/2021	DET	MLB	P	R
Alex Faedo	12/1/2020	DET	AA	P	R
Wilkel Hernandez	10/1/2020	DET	A	P	R
Joey Wentz	3/17/2020	DET	AA	P	L
Adam Wolf	10/1/2019	DET	A	P	L
Brant Hurter	5/1/2019	DET	Coll	P	L
A.J. Ladwig	4/12/2019	DET	AA	P	R
Michael Fulmer	3/27/2019	DET	MLB	P	R
Artie Lewicki	8/31/2018	DET	MLB	P	R
Gerson Moreno	6/1/2018	DET	AA	P	R
Bryan Garcia	2/15/2018	DET	AAA	P	R

The current state of the 2018 MLB Draft class

Drafted Players Table
Year	Rnd	DT	OvPck	FrRnd	RdPck	Tm	Signed	Bonus	Name	Pos	WAR	G	AB	HR	BA	OPS	G	W	L	ERA	WHIP	SV	Type	Drafted Out of
2018	1		1	FrRnd	1	Tigers	Y	$7,500,000	Casey Mize (minors)	RHP	2.7	2	2	0	.000	.333	39	7	13	4.29	1.21	0	4Yr	Auburn University (Auburn, AL)
2018	1		2	FrRnd	2	Giants	Y	$7,025,000	Joey Bart (minors)	C	0.3	71	199	4	.201	.605							4Yr	Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
2018	1		3	FrRnd	3	Phillies	Y		Alec Bohm (minors)	3B	-1.2	214	740	15	.269	.700							4Yr	Wichita State University (Wichita, KS)
2018	1		4	FrRnd	4	White Sox	Y	$6,411,400	Nick Madrigal (minors)	SS	1.7	113	406	2	.291	.697							4Yr	Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)
2018	1		5	FrRnd	5	Reds	Y	$5,297,500	Jonathan India (minors)	3B	3.5	161	576	21	.271	.822							4Yr	University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
2018	1		6	FrRnd	6	Mets	Y	$4,500,000	Jarred Kelenic (minors)	OF	-1.8	123	423	17	.173	.594							HS	Waukesha West HS (Waukesha, WI)
2018	1		7	FrRnd	7	Padres	Y	$5,226,500	Ryan Weathers (minors)	LHP	-0.2	30	27	1	.148	.438	30	4	7	5.32	1.38	1	HS	Loretto HS (Loretto, TN)
2018	1		8	FrRnd	8	Braves	N		Carter Stewart (minors)	RHP													HS	Eau Gallie HS (Melbourne, FL)
2018	1		9	FrRnd	9	Athletics	Y	$4,660,000	Kyler Murray (minors)	CF													4Yr	University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK)
2018	1		10	FrRnd	10	Pirates	Y	$4,400,000	Travis Swaggerty (minors)	OF	-0.1	3	7	0	.143	.286							4Yr	University of South Alabama (Mobile, AL)
2018	1		11	FrRnd	11	Orioles	Y	$4,300,000	Grayson Rodriguez (minors)	RHP													HS	Central Heights HS (Nacogdoches, TX)
2018	1		12	FrRnd	12	Blue Jays	Y	$3,400,000	Jordan Groshans (minors)	SS													HS	Magnolia HS (Magnolia, TX)
2018	1		13	FrRnd	13	Marlins	Y	$4,038,200	Connor Scott (minors)	OF													HS	H. B. Plant HS (Tampa, FL)
2018	1		14	FrRnd	14	Mariners	Y	$3,883,800	Logan Gilbert (minors)	RHP	3.0	0	0	0			36	12	7	3.83	1.14	0	4Yr	Stetson University (DeLand, FL)
2018	1		15	FrRnd	15	Rangers	Y	$3,150,000	Cole Winn (minors)	RHP													HS	Orange Lutheran HS (Orange, CA)
Year	Rnd	DT	OvPck	FrRnd	RdPck	Tm	Signed	Bonus	Name	Pos	WAR	G	AB	HR	BA	OPS	G	W	L	ERA	WHIP	SV	Type	Drafted Out of
2018	1		16	FrRnd	16	Rays	Y	$3,497,500	Matthew Liberatore (minors)	LHP	-0.1	0	0				3	1	1	5.54	1.85	0	HS	Mountain Ridge HS (Glendale, AZ)
2018	1		17	FrRnd	17	Angels	Y	$4,100,000	Jordyn Adams (minors)	OF													HS	Green Hope HS (Cary, NC)
2018	1		18	FrRnd	18	Royals	Y	$4,247,500	Brady Singer (minors)	RHP	1.7	0	0	0			47	12	16	4.58	1.38	0	4Yr	University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
2018	1		19	FrRnd	19	Cardinals	Y	$3,231,700	Nolan Gorman (minors)	3B	0.5	17	52	3	.289	.881							HS	Sandra Day O’Connor HS (Phoenix, AZ)
2018	1		20	FrRnd	20	Twins	Y	$2,550,000	Trevor Larnach (minors)	RF	2.3	119	385	12	.234	.716							4Yr	Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)
2018	1		21	FrRnd	21	Brewers	Y	$3,411,100	Brice Turang (minors)	SS													HS	Santiago HS (Corona, CA)
2018	1		22	FrRnd	22	Rockies	Y	$2,912,300	Ryan Rolison (minors)	LHP													4Yr	University of Mississippi (Oxford, MS)
2018	1		23	FrRnd	23	Yankees	Y	$2,815,900	Anthony Seigler (minors)	C													HS	Cartersville HS (Cartersville, GA)
2018	1		24	FrRnd	24	Cubs	Y	$2,724,000	Nico Hoerner (minors)	SS	3.6	153	475	6	.278	.703							4Yr	Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA)
2018	1		25	FrRnd	25	Diamondbacks	N		Matt McLain (minors)	2B													HS	Arnold O. Beckman HS (Irvine, CA)
2018	1		26	FrRnd	26	Red Sox	Y	$2,552,800	Triston Casas (minors)	3B													HS	American Heritage HS (Plantation, FL)
2018	1		27	FrRnd	27	Nationals	Y	$3,000,000	Mason Denaburg (minors)	RHP													HS	Merritt Island HS (Merritt Island, FL)
2018	1		28	FrRnd	28	Astros	Y	$2,250,000	Seth Beer (minors)	OF	-0.3	32	90	2	.233	.665							4Yr	Clemson University (Clemson, SC)
2018	1		29	FrRnd	29	Indians	Y	$2,578,137	Bo Naylor (minors)	C													HS	St. Joan of Arc Catholic SS (Mississauga, ON)
2018	1		30	FrRnd	30	Dodgers	N		J.T. Ginn (minors)	RHP													HS	Brandon HS (Brandon, MS)
Year	Rnd	DT	OvPck	FrRnd	RdPck	Tm	Signed	Bonus	Name	Pos	WAR	G	AB	HR	BA	OPS	G	W	L	ERA	WHIP	SV	Type	Drafted Out of
2018	1		31	FrRnd	31	Rays	Y	$2,230,100	Shane McClanahan (minors)	LHP	3.8	0	0	0			37	17	8	2.85	1.12	0	4Yr	University of South Florida (Tampa, FL)
2018	1		32	FrRnd	32	Rays	Y	$2,297,500	Nick Schnell (minors)	CF													HS	Roncalli HS (Indianapolis, IN)
2018	1		33	FrRnd	33	Royals	Y	$2,147,500	Jackson Kowar (minors)	RHP	-1.8	0	0	0			10	0	6	12.03	2.23	0	4Yr	University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
2018	1		34	FrRnd	34	Royals	Y	$1,697,500	Daniel Lynch (minors)	LHP	-0.2	1	0	0			25	6	11	5.55	1.59	0	4Yr	University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
2018	1		35	FrRnd	35	Indians	Y	$2,246,022	Ethan Hankins (minors)	RHP													HS	Forsyth Central HS (Gainesville, GA)
2018	1		36	FrRnd	36	Pirates	N		Gunnar Hoglund (minors)	RHP													HS	Fivay HS (Hudson, FL)
2018	1		37	FrRnd	37	Orioles	Y	$1,800,000	Cadyn Grenier (minors)	SS													4Yr	Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)
2018	1		38	FrRnd	38	Padres	Y	$2,600,000	Xavier Edwards (minors)	SS													HS	North Broward Prep HS (Coconut Creek, FL)
2018	1		39	FrRnd	39	Diamondbacks	Y	$1,650,000	Jake McCarthy (minors)	OF	0.8	51	129	4	.217	.676							4Yr	University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
2018	1		40	FrRnd	40	Royals	Y	$1,597,500	Kris Bubic (minors)	LHP	0.8	2	5	0	.000	.000	47	7	16	4.93	1.48	0	4Yr	Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA)
2018	1		41	FrRnd	41	Indians	Y	$1,350,000	Lenny Torres (minors)	RHP													HS	Beacon HS (Beacon, NY)
2018	1		42	FrRnd	42	Rockies	Y	$2,000,000	Grant Lavigne (minors)	1B													HS	Bedford HS (Bedford, NH)
2018	1		43	FrRnd	43	Cardinals	Y	$1,664,200	Griffin Roberts (minors)	RHP													4Yr	Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC)

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/10/2022.

As a collective, the 2018 draft class, minus a few players like Shane McClanahan, has not seen a ton of success so far. However, Detroit Tigers fans do not be surprised if Casey Mize comes back earlier than expected. Mize is known for his work ethic, which has gotten him to the top of rotation. For now, Detroit will continue to use the depth they have been able to pull from the farm system.