Casey Mize Exits Padres Start With Ankle Sprain After Slipping on Dugout Steps

Casey Mize exited his start for the San Diego Padres with an ankle sprain after slipping on dugout steps, per a report from Dayn Perry at CBS Sports. It was just his fourth start since joining the club via trade.

The good news, such as it is: imaging reportedly came back clean following Saturday's game, and Mize is considered day-to-day. Whether he makes his next scheduled start remains unaddressed by the club.

What we don't know yet

The day-to-day designation leaves his next turn in the rotation genuinely uncertain. Per earlier Posterior reporting, Mize had hoped to make his next scheduled start, but the club has not formally addressed that timeline.

Why it matters

The Padres rotation had been one of the more quietly encouraging stories of the second half, recording 10 quality starts in 17 games since the trade deadline — a sharp climb from 6 combined in June and July. Mize's availability is a meaningful variable in sustaining that stretch. The rotation is also operating without Nick Pivetta, who has been on the IL for more than 131 consecutive days with a flexor/elbow strain and is only beginning a minor league rehab assignment.

A dugout-steps ankle sprain is the kind of injury that tends to inspire a certain amount of eye-rolling at the sport's capacity for self-sabotage. The clean imaging is the relevant fact; everything else is wait-and-see.