Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers

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

Casey Mize (4-6, 2.79 ERA) gets the ball for Detroit on Saturday, July 25, going up against Michael Wacha (5-7, 3.66 ERA) for Kansas City. First pitch at Comerica is set for 1:10 PM ET, a getaway-day matinee that closes out this weekend set.

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FINAL

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ML

Total

Royals(43-61)

LWWWL

3

+1.5-135+150o8.5+125

Tigers(49-54)

WWLWL

2

-1.5+133-153u8.5-125

Best BetTigers -169

Pregame

Detroit's the play here. Mize is working with a sub-3 ERA and the Tigers have won 4 of 5, while Kansas City is down its shortstop and third baseman and trending toward selling off pieces before the deadline. The only real hair on this is Mize's health after last week's wrist scare, but Detroit lined him up to start for a reason.

Mize's spot in this game was briefly in doubt. He left last Sunday's start against the Angels early after a 108-mph comebacker banged up his wrist, and he was also fighting groin tightness that's flared up on him before. He's said his hand checked out fine and the early signs on the groin were better than past flare-ups, and Detroit has him lined up to go regardless. Wacha, meanwhile, is coming off a clean outing his last time out — 6 innings, 1 earned run, 5 strikeouts against the Giants.

Michael Wacha

(5-8)·3.44 ERA

Jul 20 vs Giants

ND

6.0IP

1ER

5K

2BB

96P

07/25 Lineup

Casey Mize

(4-7)·3.40 ERA

Jul 19 @ Angels

ND

3.1IP

1ER

5K

1BB

74P

07/25 Lineup

Kansas City's lineup is missing pieces up and down the infield. Bobby Witt Jr. is on the 10-day IL with back spasms that forced him out of a game last week, and Maikel Garcia is out too. That's the left side of the infield gone, and it's a big reason the Royals are widely expected to be sellers ahead of the August 3 trade deadline.

Kansas City Royals

(43-61)

Jul 23L@ Tigers3-4

Jul 22Wvs Giants5-4

Jul 21Wvs Giants3-2

Jul 20Wvs Giants4-3

Jul 19Lvs Padres2-19

Detroit Tigers

(49-54)

Jul 23Wvs Royals4-3

Jul 23W@ Cubs5-1

Jul 22L@ Cubs2-11

Jul 21W@ Cubs8-6

Jul 19L@ Angels2-3

Detroit's actually won 4 of its last 5, closing out a series against the Cubs and then taking the opener of this set from Kansas City, 4-3. The Tigers are chasing playoff spots in a crowded AL picture and still have real rotation questions of their own — Jack Flaherty is on the 15-day IL, and Jackson Jobe and Justin Verlander are both out for the year. Mize staying healthy matters more than usual right now.

Kansas City Royals

(13)

• Day-To-DayJac Caglianone (RF) — Caglianone (shoulder) isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers.07/23
• 10-Day-ILKyle Isbel (CF) — Isbel (foot) went 1-for-2 with an RBI triple and a run scored with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.07/22
• 10-Day-ILBobby Witt Jr. (SS) — Manager Matt Quatraro said that Witt, who is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Giants, is still feeling "pretty stiff" as he continues to manage back spasms and tightness, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.07/22
• 10-Day-ILMaikel Garcia (3B) — Garcia (hand) began swinging during the All-Star break and is set to be re-evaluated Sunday, per MLB.com.07/18
• 15-Day-ILConnor Seabold (RP) — The Royals placed Seabold on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right lat strain.07/01
• 60-Day-ILStephen Kolek (SP) — The Royals reinstated Kolek (personal) from the family medical leave list and placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a right flexor strain.07/22
• 60-Day-ILCarlos Estevez (RP) — Estevez (shoulder) started a throwing program Friday, per MLB.com.07/18
• 60-Day-ILKris Bubic (SP) — Bubic (elbow/shoulder) could begin a new throwing program next week, per MLB.com.07/18
• 60-Day-ILNick Mears (RP) — The Royals transferred Mears (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.07/14
• 60-Day-ILCole Ragans (SP) — Ragans underwent UCL repair surgery on his left elbow Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.07/02
• 60-Day-ILJonathan India (2B) — no06/04
• 60-Day-ILJames McArthur (RP) — McArthur (elbow) underwent surgery Friday to help combat continued soreness and inflammation, MLB.com reports.05/25
• 60-Day-ILAlec Marsh (SP) — The Royals placed Marsh (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.05/08

Detroit Tigers

(13)

• Day-To-DayCasey Mize (SP) — Mize is dealing with groin tightness and a wrist injury following his early departure from Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Angels, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.07/19
• 15-Day-ILJack Flaherty (SP) — The Tigers placed Flaherty on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right flexor strain.07/22
• 60-Day-ILJavier Baez (SS) — Baez (ankle) will embark on a rehab assignment with Single-A Lakeland on Tuesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILJackson Jobe (SP) — Jobe (elbow) struck out three and allowed one unearned run on three hits and no walks across three innings Sunday in his rehab start with Double-A Erie.07/20
• 60-Day-ILWill Vest (RP) — Detroit transferred Vest (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.07/19
• 60-Day-ILBailey Horn (RP) — Horn (elbow) will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.07/18
• 60-Day-ILBurch Smith (RP) — Smith (shoulder) will start a rehab assignment with Single-A Lakeland on Friday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.07/17
• 60-Day-ILJustin Verlander (SP) — Verlander (hamstring/hip) announced Wednesday via social media that he will retire following the 2026 season.07/08
• 60-Day-ILWenceel Perez (RF) — Perez (orbital) played light catch on the field at Comerica Park on Tuesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.07/07
• 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.06/25
• 60-Day-ILTrey Sweeney (SS) — Sweeney will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery this week, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.06/05
• 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-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

Kansas City has flashed some fight lately, taking 3 straight from San Francisco before dropping the series opener here. But between the injuries at short and third, a stretched bullpen, and a front office openly weighing what to do with veterans like Wacha before the deadline, this doesn't feel like a team playing with anything to prove beyond auditioning trade chips.