Casey Mize (2-5, 2.95 ERA) draws Ryan Weathers (3-5, 3.95 ERA) for a 7:05 PM ET first pitch at Yankee Stadium. Mize has quietly put together one of the more criminally undersupported seasons in baseball — that ERA belongs on a guy pitching for a contender, not a team sitting at .416. Weathers has steadied himself after a brutal mid-season stretch in which he allowed 16 runs across 3 starts, now stringing together back-to-back quality outings heading into Monday's opener.
This is effectively a rematch of last week's Comerica series. Weathers beat Mize on June 24 — 6 innings, 1 earned run — while Mize took the loss on June 23 despite allowing just 4 runs in 5.2 innings with 6 strikeouts against this same Yankees lineup. Both pitchers have fresh intel on the opponent, and the venue flip matters: Weathers carries a 3.52 ERA at home versus 4.64 on the road. The Bronx suits him considerably better than Detroit did.
The Yankees limp in after getting outscored 16-5 in the first 3 games of the Boston series, capped by a walk-off loss in extras Sunday when Jarren Duran ended it for the Red Sox. Aaron Boone described the sweep as 'crappy' and there's no other way to put it. Without Aaron Judge (rib stress fracture, 4-6 weeks out) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf reinjury), New York has been leaning on Ben Rice, who at this point is the team's best hitter anyway — .300/.393/.638, 17 home runs, 181 wRC+ through 57 games. The Tigers, meanwhile, dropped 3 of 4 to Houston after an 8-0 blowout win in game 3 offered a misleading glimpse of life.
- 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.
- 10-Day-ILGleyber Torres 2B — Torres (oblique) received a cortisone injection Friday and is expected to start up his rehab program in the next day or two, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
- 60-Day-ILJackson Jobe SP — Jobe (elbow) will throw live batting practice Saturday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
- 60-Day-ILWenceel Perez RF — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday that Perez won't require surgery for the left orbital fracture he sustained June 16, but the outfielder lacks a clear timeline for a return, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports. "It's not, from what I understand, where it's going to be something long term," Hinch said of Perez's injury. "But it doesn't mean it heals itself fast. He's feeling better and better and reporting progress."
- 60-Day-ILParker Meadows CF — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday that Meadows (forearm) has yet to resume hitting and is without a timeline to return from the 60-day injured list, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- 60-Day-ILBurch Smith RP — The Tigers transferred Smith (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.
- 60-Day-ILJustin Verlander SP — Verlander (hip) has been scratched from a scheduled start Sunday versus the White Sox due to a left hamstring injury, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
- 60-Day-ILJavier Baez SS — The Tigers transferred Baez (ankle) to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
- Day-To-DayTravis MacGregor SP — MacGregor underwent Tommy John surgery last September and will miss the entire 2019 season, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILTrent Grisham CF — Manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that Grisham (hamstring) is expected to return from the injured list during New York's upcoming homestand, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
- 10-Day-ILRyan McMahon 3B — The Yankees placed McMahon on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a throat infection.
- 10-Day-ILGiancarlo Stanton DH — The Yankees announced that Stanton (calf) reinjured his calf and will have a slow week of activities, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILAaron Judge RF — The Yankees announced Thursday that Judge has a stress fracture of his first rib on his right side and will be sidelined for 4-to-6 weeks before being re-evaluated, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILMax Fried SP — Manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that Fried (elbow) is expected to begin facing hitters by late June or early July, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
- 60-Day-ILClarke Schmidt SP — Schmidt (elbow) tossed a side session Wednesday and is "a couple of weeks" away from facing live hitters, per MLB.com.
Detroit's injury list reads like a MASH unit: Jackson Jobe, Parker Meadows, Wenceel Perez, Justin Verlander, Javier Baez, Trey Sweeney — all on the 60-day IL, most with no clear return timeline. Sweeney is done for the year with shoulder surgery. The Tigers are essentially running a replacement-level roster into Yankee Stadium, and the fact that Mize keeps pitching well enough to keep them in games is a minor miracle. That said, a shorthanded Yankees lineup getting right at home in the Bronx is a dangerous destination for any team at 12-28 on the road.