Erik

Miller

Miller will miss the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with elbow inflammation earlier this week. The 27-year-old suffered a setback in his recovery from a mild UCL sprain and there’s no point in rushing him back with only five weeks left in the season.

Miller was working his way back from a mild UCL sprain in his left elbow before being shut down again with renewed discomfort. An MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage, but there might not be enough time for him to make it back to San Francisco with less than six weeks left in the season.

Miller expressed optimism that he’ll make it back to San Francisco’s bullpen in roughly five weeks, but that would be the best-case scenario. The broader concern here is that the 27-year-old lefty could wind up requiring surgery if his elbow doesn’t respond well to the rest and rehabilitation route.

Miller will be out through at least the All-Star break, but there’s a good chance this will require more than just a two-week stint on the shelf. He’ll recover while Scott Alexander takes his spot on the roster.

Miller, 27, has been sidelined due to illness all spring. The 6-foot-5 hurler is expected to be a key cog in the San Francisco bullpen in 2025.

Miller has yet to appear in a Cactus League contest this spring, but was set to take the ball on Sunday against the Angels. The 27-year-old lefty made a staggering 73 appearances (10 starts) last year for San Francisco and figures to operate in a versatile swingman role once again this season.

Hicks is officially being moved to the bullpen, as expected. The 27-year-old will not make his scheduled start against Colorado, and instead it will be Erik Miller opening a bullpen game for the Giants. Hicks will still miss bats in the bullpen, but assuming he’s not closing games, his value for 2024 is essentially gone.

Erik Miller will start as the opener, but Howard should provide three or four innings behind him. Howard was great in his first three bulk outings, allowing three runs in 13 1/3 innings; however, his last two outings haven’t been nearly as good. That makes him a risky option even against the Cubs.

It will be bullpen games for both the Angels and Giants. Miller is getting the ball with Kyle Harrison (ankle) heading to the injured list. He likely won’t work deep enough to qualify for a win, so there’s no reason to consider him as a streaming option.

It’ll be the fourth time this season that the 26-year-old southpaw has functioned as an opener for manager Bob Melvin. On the season, he holds a 4.00 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 34/15 K/BB ratio over 27 innings of work. Spencer Howard is expected to follow him and work bulk innings for the Giants on Monday night.