Casey Mize's rough final weeks with the San Diego Padres ended not with a roster decision but an injury report. The Auburn right-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right ankle sprain, effectively ending any realistic shot at a postseason roster spot — even as the Padres punched their ticket to October.
The timing couldn't be worse for Mize. San Diego clinched a playoff berth this week, with the wild-card series Game 1 starter already named. The Padres also recalled right-hander Griffin Canning from the Arizona Complex League and reinstated infielder/outfielder Gavin Sheets from the IL to fill Mize's roster spot — organizational moves that signal where the team's postseason priorities lie.
The IL stint is the punctuation on a brutal stretch. Mize had been struggling badly enough in the final weeks of the regular season that the conversation in San Diego had already shifted from what role he'd play in October to whether he'd be on the roster at all. His September numbers told the story: he allowed five earned runs over just three innings in a loss to Miami on Sept. 20, then surrendered seven earned runs in four innings against Arizona on Sept. 26 — a clunker that ballooned his ERA to 4.32. The Padres manager addressed Mize's postseason standing publicly, but the ankle sprain rendered that conversation moot.
For Auburn fans, the Mize arc this season is a frustrating one. The former No. 1 overall pick has flashed enough to keep the dream alive, but the combination of performance and now injury has closed the October door.
Barnett Ends the Year with a Statement Outing
Across the league, Mason Barnett gave Athletics fans something to feel good about during an otherwise lost season. The Auburn righty took the mound in Sacramento on Sept. 25 against the Houston Astros and delivered his best showing in recent memory: six innings, eight strikeouts, and four earned runs against a legitimate big-league lineup. Barnett finished the year 1-4 with a 7.02 ERA, numbers that reflect a young pitcher still finding his footing at the major-league level — but that Sept. 25 outing offered a glimpse of the ceiling that made him a prospect worth watching. With Oakland in full rebuild mode, Barnett figures to get every opportunity to build on it in 2026.
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