Bryce

Miller

Miller said he threw a bullpen at 100 percent on Monday. He needs to build up stamina after being limited to one start this spring, but he could rejoin the Mariners’ rotation in a few weeks. Emerson Hancock figures to get the nod to fill in for him, though that’s still not official. Cooper Criswell would be the alternative.

It’s too late now for Miller to begin the season in Seattle’s rotation, but this is still really good news. As long as all goes well from here, he should be ready by mid-April. Emerson Hancock will likely fill in until then.

Miller was told “not to push through if he felt anything at all,” so it’s unclear how much discomfort he felt, but the fact that he felt any is not a great sign. He is still cleared to play catch, so it’s nice that he isn’t fully shut down from throwing, but it’s just hard to trust him in fantasy drafts right now. Miller will almost assuredly miss the start of the season, which opens up a spot in the rotation for Cooper Criswell or Emerson Hancock.

A standard bullpen means that Miller will not just be throwing fastballs, but his full pitch mix. He has been sidelined since the end of February. If this bullpen goes well, Miller could return to spring games in the next week and potentially be ready to start the season. Given Miller is also dealing with bone spurs in his elbow that he pitched through last season, he remains a risky pick in fantasy baseball.

It’ll be a touch and feel session for the 27-year-old right-hander who was shut down last week following a PRP injection to help alleviate inflammation in his left side. Miller has been throwing off of flat ground the past few days without issue. He remains hopeful that he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season.

Miller was shut down last week following a PRP injection to address left side inflammation but has already been cleared to resume a throwing program. Barring any further setbacks, there’s a chance he’s ready for Seattle’s season opener, but that’s not a lock at this juncture.

Miller will be shut down from throwing for at least the next five days for precautionary reasons after receiving a PRP injection to address the swelling. Mariners general manager Justin Hollander told reporters there is no definitive timeline beyond Miller resuming a throwing program later this week. It certainly sounds like a possibility that he opens the regular season with a trip to the injured list since he might run out of time to build up his pitch count and stamina. The 27-year-old righty made his spring debut earlier this week, showcasing a significant uptick in fastball velocity from last year’s injury-plagued campaign. There should be an additional update on his status once he’s cleared to resume throwing.

Miller allowed a pair of doubles in the opening inning, but Angel Martinez was caught stealing which helped the right-hander to avoid any damage. He then returned for the second inning where he punched out Nolan Jones and allowed a single to Johnathan Rodriguez before turning the ball over to the bullpen. The 27-year-old hurler showed increased velocity in this one, averaging 97.3 mph on his fastball, up 2.5 mph from his season average in 2025. There are injury concerns after Miller opted against surgery despite being diagnosed with bone spurs in his elbow, but if he can stay healthy Miller offers tremendous fantasy upside at a discount price.

Miller had been the only Mariners player not to agree before arbitration figures were exchanged. Miller, a Super Two player, filed at $2.625 million, with the Mariners coming in at $2.25 million. The option, which includes a $15,000 buyout, is for $6 million but is also voided if Miller finishes in the top five of the AL Cy Young voting, which is the kind of thing that would have to happen for Miller to approach $6 million in arbitration next year. It has no real chance of being applied and is only here because it keeps up appearances of the Mariners being a so-called “file and trial” team.

Miller will have a follow-up appointment this offseason with Dr. Keith Meister to determine his next steps after requiring multiple trips to the injured list last season due to elbow inflammation. He managed to make it back for the final six weeks of the regular season after being diagnosed with a bone spur in his elbow back in June. The 27-year-old righty finished with an underwhelming 5.68 ERA and 74/34 K/BB ratio across 90 1/3 innings over 18 starts this past season after posting a stellar 2.94 ERA across 180 1/3 frames over 31 starts during a breakthrough campaign back in 2024. He’ll likely receive another cortisone injection and figures to be ready for the outset of spring training. It’s a relief for fantasy managers that he’ll avoid a surgical procedure, but it makes the issue worth monitoring at the outset of camp next spring.