All eyes on Tigers' Casey Mize in series finale vs. Rangers

There has been plenty of speculation about Tarik Skubal's future this season. After all, the Detroit Tigers could trade their ace before he hits the free-agent market.

Another prominent Tigers starter, Casey Mize, also could be dealt before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The 29-year-old right-hander will start the finale of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon in Arlington, Texas, and there undoubtedly will be plenty of rival scouts and executives evaluating his performance.

Mize, who also will become a free agent after this season, has dealt with adductor and groin issues this year.

He made an All-Star appearance last season and finished with a 14-6 record and a 3.87 ERA in 28 starts. He arguably has been even better this season, though his record (3-5) doesn't reflect it.

Mize has a 2.63 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 12 starts while recording 68 strikeouts in 65 innings. His most recent outing may have been the best of his career. He held the New York Yankees to one hit without a walk over seven scoreless innings Monday while notching 10 strikeouts in a 7-3 victory.

The win was his first since April 22.

"He was excellent," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "He was very pitch-efficient early. Pretty dominant with his strike-throwing, and he got a lot of miss. And when we spotted him a few runs, he locked in even more."

A leadoff double by Spencer Jones in the third inning was the only hit against Mize.

"I thought we had a good plan," Mize said. "Ding (catcher Dillon Dingler) and I were on the same page. I didn't shake him once, and the execution was pretty good. Kept myself out of tough counts for the most part. Couple three-ball counts there, but I felt like the strike-throwing was quality. Just really good execution."

Mize has started three games in his career against the Rangers, getting a no-decision each time and compiling a 2.57 ERA.

Kumar Rocker (2-6, 3.83 ERA) will start for Texas on Sunday. The right-hander is coming off one of his best outings of the season. He tossed six shutout innings at Toronto last Sunday, walking one and striking out five while throwing 92 pitches in his team's 3-2 victory.

"I was just trying to get out there and give us a chance to win," Rocker said. "It was big. ... We fought hard and got it done."

"Rock was fantastic," Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. "... He was able to get six innings and 90-something pitches, a lot of balls on the ground, not too many leverage situations. His last couple starts have been really, really good."

Rocker has given up two runs in 11 innings since Minnesota rocked him for seven runs (six earned) in 3 1/3 innings on June 16.

He is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two career starts against Detroit.

The teams have split the first two games of the series. The Rangers won 10-4 on Thursday but lost 3-0 on Saturday as Detroit's Riley Greene blasted his third homer in the last four games.

Detroit has gone 4-1 during its current six-game road trip; Texas lost for just the second time in nine games.

--Field Level Media