LAKELAND, Fla. — Something his pastor said last Wednesday resonated for Casey Mize. It's something he probably should have heard a few months earlier.
"There's been plenty of times when I was upset and bitter," said Mize, who, as he revealed Wednesday, is not only rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but also back surgery. "But I was in church last Wednesday and the pastor said, in times of peaks and valleys, when you are in the valley, instead of being bitter, focus on getting better.
"I did find myself at times, I mean, I was pretty bitter and I was upset. Then it kind of switched to, this is a really good time to reset and get better."
Mize's 2022 season ended abruptly on April 14. Two months later, on June 15, he had Tommy John surgery to replace the ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm. Roughly a couple of weeks later, a procedure that he did not disclose until Wednesday, he underwent back surgery.
"The back was an issue for a long time," Mize said. "I'd say years. It's just something that got progressively worse over time. We had a unique opportunity with the Tommy John surgery to go ahead and tackle this. There was an available time for it to be done.
"That way I could focus on getting everything better so when we get back I could be the best player I can be ."
He didn't want to get specific about the back surgery, though he did say it wasn't a spinal fusion surgery.
"There are no minor back surgeries, right?" he said. "But it's nothing like that. There have been plenty of players who have been hurt worse. It's just something that needed to be done."
Mize said he believes his back issues played a role in the elbow injury.
"For sure," he said. "It was something I had to tackle daily and it led to some mechanical things I didn't love. There's some compensation there, you know. Everything is connected. I'd be a liar if I said it didn't effect my elbow "
Because of the fluidity and unpredictability of the rehabilitation timeline, Mize didn't want to speculate on how or even if the back surgery would impact his return. The odds were long against him returning this season, as it was, even without the back surgery.
Still, his spirits on Wednesday were remarkably good.
"Yeah, I have a pretty positive mindset right now," he said. "I feel good. I love the progress I've seen. This is a big week for me."
He will begin his throwing program later in the week.
"I feel awesome physically," he said. "It's just a unique time for a full reset and I'm really taking advantage of this down time to kind of tackle everything so when I come back I can be the best player I can be."
Mize, who will turn 26 on May 1, was the No. 1 overall pick in 2018. He cracked the Tigers' rotation for the first time in 2020 and made 30 starts in 2021.
For now, he will be on the field with his teammates, going through the stretching and conditioning, working out with them in the weight room. Just not where he wants to be the most, on the field.
"It'll be tough to watch their progress and go through the season," he said. "But in the same aspect, I'm so happy for them. I know how joyous it is to play the game we love. I don't resent them for that. But it motivates me for whenever I'm going to be doing the same thing, preparing for a season.
"I can't wait for that."
