Detroit Tigers at Houston Astros

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
DET	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2	3	0
HOU	0	0	1	0	2	1	0	0	—	4	9	0

First pitch is 1:10 PM CT and the pitching matchup is the headline. Mize (2-3, 2.27) hasn't toed a big-league rubber since May 27, when he punched out 6 over 4 scoreless against the Angels on just 58 pitches. The Tigers had him lined up to come off the IL in Cleveland over the weekend, but the Sunday rainout pushed everything to this getaway game in Houston. He draws Peter Lambert (5-4, 3.47), who has quietly been one of the few stable arms in an Astros rotation that's been duct-taped together all month.

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FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Tigers(30-43)

LWPLL

2

-1.5+163-104o8.5+104

Astros(34-41)

WLLWW

4

+1.5-170-100u8.5-104

Best BetTigers -113

Pregame

The price is essentially pick'em with Houston a hair chalky at -103, and that ignores the pitching edge. Mize's 2.27 ERA is the best number on either side of this matchup, and even on a leash he gives Detroit a real shot to steal the rubber game. Take the Tigers at a plus number.

Detroit has been winning the EV battle and losing the actual games. The Tigers ripped Houston 9-3 in the opener Monday, then dropped a 4-2 dud Tuesday after Gleyber Torres sat with a side issue and Colt Keith was day-to-day with a wrist (X-rays came back clean, per the Detroit News). A.J. Hinch's group is 30-43 and has lost 4 of its last 5 if you count the rainout, but the rotation is genuinely thin — Flaherty just hit the IL with a peroneal strain, Olson is done for the year, and Jackson Jobe is still weeks away from facing hitters. Getting Mize back, even on a pitch count, matters.

Casey Mize

(3-5)·2.63 ERA

May 27 vs Angels

ND

4.0IP

0ER

6K

1BB

58P

06/17 Lineup

Peter Lambert

(6-5)·3.51 ERA

Jun 10 @ Angels

ND

6.1IP

2ER

6K

0BB

91P

06/17 Lineup

Detroit Tigers

(15)

• Day-To-DayGleyber Torres (2B) — Torres (side) didn't play in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Astros.06/17
• Day-To-DayColt Keith (3B) — X-rays on Keith's right wrist came back negative Tuesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.06/17
• Day-To-DayTroy Melton (SP) — Melton is optimistic about avoiding a stint on the 15-day injured list after being scratched from Monday's scheduled start against Houston due to lower-back tightness, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.06/16
• Day-To-DayJosue Briceno (C) — Briceno said Friday that he expects to be sidelined a few months after having surgery Wednesday to repair a tendon in his right wrist, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.05/08
• 15-Day-ILCasey Mize (SP) — MIze (adductor) won't be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Sunday against the Guardians after the game was postponed due to inclement weather in Cleveland.06/14
• 15-Day-ILJack Flaherty (SP) — The Tigers placed Flaherty on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a left peroneal strain.06/13
• 15-Day-ILBurch Smith (RP) — Smith (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, MLB.com reports.06/11
• 60-Day-ILJustin Verlander (SP) — Verlander (hip) will return from the injured list to start Sunday's game against the White Sox, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.06/16
• 60-Day-ILJavier Baez (SS) — The Tigers transferred Baez (ankle) to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.06/11
• 60-Day-ILTrey Sweeney (SS) — Sweeney will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery this week, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.06/05
• 60-Day-ILJackson Jobe (SP) — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday that Jobe (elbow) is expected to resume facing hitters in live batting practice "in a few weeks," Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.06/04
• 60-Day-ILBrant Hurter (RP) — The Tigers placed Hurter on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to lumbar spine inflammation.05/29
• 60-Day-ILBailey Horn (RP) — Horn (elbow) began a throwing progression May 14, MLB.com reports.05/27
• 60-Day-ILReese Olson (SP) — The Tigers placed Olson on the 60-day injured list Tuesday after he underwent a right shoulder labral repair Feb. 2 that will result in him missing the 2026 season.05/08
• 60-Day-ILParker Meadows (CF) — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that Meadows underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a left radius fracture and will be sidelined "multiple months," Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.05/08

Houston Astros

(11)

• Day-To-DayWalker Janek (C) — Double-A Corpus Christi placed Janek on its 7-day injured list Sunday due to an unspecified injury.05/08
• 10-Day-ILBraden Shewmake (SS) — The Astros announced Monday that Shewmake (adductor) has taken part in baseball activity and is working his way through a running progression at the team's facility in Florida, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.06/15
• 10-Day-ILLaMonte Wade Jr. (1B) — Wade left Monday's game against the Angels with right hamstring soreness, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.06/09
• 10-Day-ILNick Allen (SS) — Allen was removed from Sunday's game against the Athletics due to left hamstring discomfort.06/08
• 15-Day-ILLance McCullers Jr. (SP) — Astros manager Joe Espada said Saturday that McCullers (shoulder) has resumed throwing off a mound, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.06/15
• 15-Day-ILBennett Sousa (RP) — The Astros announced Friday that Sousa (elbow) has begun a throwing progression, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.06/04
• 60-Day-ILCristian Javier (SP) — Javier (shoulder) didn't make a rehab start Sunday as planned after Triple-A Sugar Land had its game against Sacramento get postponed due to rain, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.06/15
• 60-Day-ILRonel Blanco (SP) — Blanco (elbow) tossed 40 pitches in a simulated game Saturday and will soon start a rehab stint in the Florida Complex League, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.06/13
• 60-Day-ILBrandon Walter (SP) — The Astros announced Friday that Walter (elbow) is in the midst of a throwing progression at the team's complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.06/04
• 60-Day-ILCarlos Correa (SS) — Correa is scheduled to undergo surgery Monday in Houston to repair the tendon in his left ankle, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.06/02
• 60-Day-ILHayden Wesneski (SP) — Wesneski (elbow) has progressed to throwing live batting practice this week, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.05/29

Houston's not exactly healthy either. Carlos Correa is post-ankle surgery, Lance McCullers is just now back on a mound, LaMonte Wade Jr. is on the IL with a hamstring, and Nick Allen is down too. At 34-41 the Astros are scuffling enough that Hunter Brown's return earlier in the week was treated like a season-saver. Lambert has been the steady one — his last start was 6.1 innings of 2-run ball in Anaheim with 6 punchouts and zero walks on 91 pitches, which is exactly the kind of efficient outing Joe Espada needs to keep getting from the back end.

Detroit Tigers

(30-43)

Jun 17L@ Astros2-4

Jun 16W@ Astros9-3

Jun 14P@ Guardians0-0

Jun 13L@ Guardians1-3

Jun 12L@ Guardians2-3

Houston Astros

(34-41)

Jun 17Wvs Tigers4-2

Jun 16Lvs Tigers3-9

Jun 14L@ Royals0-4

Jun 13W@ Royals8-7

Jun 13W@ Royals10-8

This is a coin-flip game the market is treating like one. Houston is a tick of a favorite at home, Detroit has the better ERA on the mound, and both bullpens have been worked. If Mize's pitch count holds up past the 5th, the Tigers are live to take the series. If it doesn't, this turns into a bullpen game and Houston's offense — which already put up 4 on Tuesday without Wade — has the edge.