DETROIT >> He spent most of 2022 and all of 2023 rehabbing and trying to recover from two surgeries — Tommy John UCL reconstruction and a procedure on his lower back. He endured a choppy 2024 season and ended up being left off the Tigers’ playoff roster for both the Wild Card Series and the ALDS.

Imagine then the emotions that swirled through Casey Mize Thursday night when he was notified by manager AJ Hinch and president Scott Harris that he been named to the American League All-Star team.

“Pretty proud,” Mize said before the Tigers hosted the Mariners Friday night. “Obviously super grateful. It’s been a long journey. Still have a long way to go. But I feel like this is pretty validating of some hard work and some tough times turning into success and good times.

“I’m part of a great group here and I’m just happy to be able to contribute, especially to the level where I’m thought of as an All Star. Pretty neat and I’m so thankful.”

Mize, who is 9-2 with a 2.63 ERA and 1.179 WHIP in 15 starts, was selected to the team to replace Boston left-hander Garrett Crochet.

“It’s awesome,” Hinch said. “His reaction, it was fun to be a part of that. The pride in not only what he’s done and the journey to get here, but to be rewarded with a trip to Atlanta with his best friend (Tarik Skubal) and his teammates that have watched him have an incredible season so far.

“It’s hard in this sport sometimes to get these moments and to get this type of recognition.”

The Tigers will be sending six players to the All-Star Game Tuesday. Mize, the first overall pick in the draft in 2018, joins Skubal, Zach McKinstry and starters Riley Greene, Javier Baez and Gleyber Torres.

“We have so many contributors on this team,” Mize said. “I think a lot of guys felt the same way that a lot of fans and everybody else was saying — that we should have more representation in the game. That means a lot. It tells you how deep this team is.

“For us to have six guys, and Frankie (Boyd, Tigers’ bat boy), that’s pretty special.”

The Tigers last had six representatives in the game in 2013, when Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Jhonny Peralta, Torii Hunter, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander were selected. The last time they had two homegrown pitchers in the game was in 1985 — Jack Morris and Dan Petry.

I’m a baseball enthusiast and I know there are a lot of players who deserve this recognition,” Hinch said. “But I am biased to the way our guys are doing it and what we’ve accomplished. I do think we deserve this heavy representation at the game with guys wearing our uniform…We should take time over the break to smile and enjoy and soak it all in when we see them on that stage.”

With Crochet and Yankees’ ace Max Fried out of the game, the deck appears cleared for Skubal to start the game.

“I didn’t know all of that was going to go down,” Hinch said. “But (Yankees manager Aaron) Boone will talk about the decision process and what he needs to do. I don’t have any comment.”

Hinch said the last with a wry smile and added, “but I do have some good insight.”

The Tigers are 11-4 in Mize’s starts this season. His season was interrupted for 16 days when he strained his hamstring. But in six starts since June, he’s averaging nearly six innings and allowing less than two runs per start, with 28 strikeouts and nine walks in 34.2 innings.

“When I first came back I wasn’t quite as sharp as I wanted to be,” Mize said. “We talked about that downtick on some stuff and in the production. Throughout that whole process, we were trying to, not really make changes, but just remind ourselves that, hey, there were some things you were doing when things were going really well. Let’s reset and get back to that.

“I was able to do that and I’ve had a good month or so since. I’m looking forward to keeping that rolling.”

Mize’s last start before the break is Saturday. Tuesday would normally be his bullpen day between starts, so he will be available to pitch an inning.

“I don’t know that he’s guaranteed to pitch,” Hinch said. “But he’s available to pitch.”

Hinch recreated the phone call he and Harris made to Mize Thursday night.

“We asked him what he was doing for the break,” Hinch said. “He told us he was going to Tampa (where he lives in the offseason). I asked if it was a direct flight or a one-stop flight through Atlanta. He said it was non-stop.

“I asked him if he wanted to pitch for the American League on Tuesday. These guys know I’m not messing with them when I do this, but I had to repeat it a couple of times, that he was an All Star.”

Said Mize, with a smile: “It was pretty easy cancelling those flights.”