Missing Out On Casey Mize Doesn't Look So Bad For Diamondbacks Now

The Arizona Diamondbacks did not find a way to add pitching at this year's trade deadline, much to the dismay of both fans and GM Mike Hazen.

One such name the D-backs lost out on was right-hander Casey Mize, whose 2.70 ERA with the Detroit Tigers made him a desirable Deadline target for many.

Arizona was reportedly interested in Mize, but he ultimately landed with the San Diego Padres, who face the D-backs this week in a crucial four-game series.

But in Mize's first outing as a Padre, the Diamondbacks did some serious offensive damage. It's only one start, but it's certainly a start Arizona could not have afforded to see from their own starting pitcher on Wednesday night. The Diamondbacks took a critical game three victory,10-4.

Diamondbacks hit Casey Mize early

May 27, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize (12) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Diamondbacks forced Mize out of the game after just 3.1 innings. They had already belted nine hits — including a home run — and collected five earned runs for 5-0 lead.

With the bases loaded and one out, Padres left-hander Kyle Hart entered to clean up Mize's mess, and instead allowed all three inherited runners to score. As the D-backs took a commanding 8-0 lead in the fourth inning, all eight runs were charged to Mize,

Mize's sparkling ERA inflated to 3.40. Wednesday will go down as his worst start of the season thus far. The right-hander very well may go on to have a strong finish to the season, and Arizona may wish they had pulled the trigger on a deal for him.

But for Wednesday, the D-backs' offense made quite the statement to their rivals.

Mitch Bratt makes best start of career

Jul 31, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Mitch Bratt (60) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's easy to celebrate the offense on a night when a club scores eight runs. But the eight-run cushion was more than enough for left-hand starter Mitch Bratt, who posted — by far — the best line of his young MLB career.

Bratt entered play Wednesday with a 5.23 ERA, having already made his best MLB start one game prior. But he had yet to complete more than five innings at the major league level. That changed quickly.

Bratt was dominant against San Diego. He tossed seven scoreless innings and allowed only one base hit while striking out an eye-popping nine batters. He only picked up eight whiffs, but landed 19 pitches in the zone for called strikes. His ERA is down to 3.90.

If there was one gripe, Bratt did issue three walks, throwing just under 60% of his pitches for strikes. That is an issue he will need to get under control to sustain success at the MLB level, but his Wednesday night start was beyond encouraging, especially during an important series, against a division rival.

Lars Nootbaar picks up first D-backs knock

Aug 4, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Lars Nootbaar (21) in the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Due to the lack of pitching upgrades, outfielder Lars Nootbaar arrived without much fanfare. But the Diamondbacks' lone deadline addition has put together a pair of productive games since arriving in Arizona.

Nootbaar collected his first hit of his D-backs career Wednesday night — an RBI single to put Arizona up 3-0 in the fourth inning and begin the deluge of runs. He finished his night 1-for-4 with the RBI, a run scored and a walk.

He walked twice in his D-backs debut Tuesday. His early-sample on-base percentage is .444.

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