Mariners shift struggling Bryce Miller to pen

Miller allowed two runs through five and should have been through the sixth without any damage, but Julio Rodríguez got an oddly late break on a flyball single and Christian Moore ended up homering with two outs on a fly that would have left only eight of 30 ballparks. Miller finishes the year 4-10 with a 4.17 ERA after a very promising start following a six-week absence due to an oblique injury. Alas, the velocity spike that showed up this spring and briefly carried over upon his return in May didn’t stick around at all. He went from looking like a legitimate No. 2 starter in May to more of a middling No. 4 lately.

Miller gave up four hits, walked two and struck out six. He didn’t complete six innings or get the win, but no earned runs allowed and six strikeouts at Coors Field is still impressive. Miller lowered his ERA to 3.99 on the year. He’s not currently scheduled to start again, but could wind up piggybacking Emerson Hancock’s start against the Angels at home next weekend.

Miller gave up back-to-back homers to Zack Gelof and Lawrence Butler in the first. He went on to walk five afterwards, but he allowed no other hits and left with a 5-2 lead after five. That should have gotten him his first win since July 2, but then the Mariners pen gave up six runs in an 8-7 loss. Miller’s next outing is slated to take place in Coors Field on Saturday, though he might be piggybacking then if Emerson Hancock is deemed ready to throw a few innings.

Miller served up a solo homer to Corey Seager in the first inning. He gave up a second run on a walk and a base hit in the second. After a scoreless third, he ran into more trouble in the fourth as he departed with the bases loaded and two outs. Two inherited runners would come in to score. The 28-year-old right-hander will take a 4.22 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a 101/29 K/BB ratio across 102 1/3 innings into a start against the Athletics in Sacramento on Sunday.

Miller struck out three and walked one, lowering his ERA to 4.01. It wasn’t the most efficient effort, but it was a step in the right direction after allowing five earned runs or more in three consecutive starts. Miller was phenomenal in his initial return from injury this season, but he entered Wednesday with a 7.18 ERA in the second half. He was going to be sent to the bullpen recently, but Emerson Hancock’s injury reopened a rotation spot. He’ll draw the Rangers at home next time out.

Jude mentioned that, “only after much prodding did Bryce Miler acknowledge a lat issue that crept up a month ago in Texas.” A month ago would be before his July 24th start against the Rangers. In the six starts since then, Miller has posted a 7.92 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and 15.6 percent strikeout rate in 30 2/3 innings. In his 11 starts prior to that, he had a 2.27 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 29.5 percent strikeout rate in 63 1/3 innings. It would be safe to say the injury impacted his performance a little bit. Since Miller also had questions about the health of his elbow coming into this season, he remains a major injury risk going forward unless there is some surgery on the table for him to help alleviate the concern. He can be dropped in all redraft formats right now.

In Bryce Miller’s last two starts, the Mariners have been outscored 41-2. The second number isn’t his fault, the first one he’s at least partially responsible for, obviously. The right-hander could not find the strike zone for the overwhelming majority of the outing, and he walked seven while throwing just 60-of-104 pitches for strikes. Miller was as good as any pitcher in baseball at one point, but he’s been borderline atrocious since the All-Star break. He’ll face the Blue Jays in Toronto next weekend if Seattle doesn’t alter the rotation.

Miller gave up an unearned run on an error in the first inning. He settled in for three scoreless innings before getting torched for five runs in the fifth, including a three-run blast by Christian Yelich. Miller departed with two outs in the inning at 92 pitches. He struck out three. The 27-year-old right-hander will take a 3.71 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and an 87/18 K/BB ratio across 89 2/3 innings into a start against the Cubs in Seattle on Sunday.

Miller gave up eight hits, walked one and struck out five. He hasn’t won a start since July 2 against the Angels and has allowed at least four earned runs in four of his last six starts since then. Miller has a solid 3.39 ERA and 3.62 xFIP in 85 innings this year. He’s lined up to face the Brewers on the road next week.

Miller struck out five opposing hitters in the contest while issuing a pair of free passes. The Tigers jumped on him for three runs in the opening inning, including a two-run blast by Dillon Dingler. Dingler then tacked on an RBI single in the third inning. The 27-year-old hurler generated 10 swings and misses on 93 offerings on the day, posting a CSW of 25 percent. He’ll attempt to bounce back as he carries a stellar 3.08 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and a 79/15 K/BB ratio (79 innings) into Wednesday’s matchup against the Yankees in New York.