Shelby Miller has made the Detroit Tigers Opening Day roster. Miller signed a one-year deal with Detroit in December. The 33-year-old did not see a lot of work in camp, but he was effective. He struck out 10 and recorded a 2.70 ERA across 6.2 innings of work this spring. Miller is expected to assume a fairly high-leverage role out of the bullpen for the Tigers this season. Miller made his major league debut coming out of the bullpen for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012. He joined the Cardinals rotation the following season making 31 starts and pitching to a 3.06 ERA. Miller came in third in NL Rookie of the Year voting that season. He pitched one more season with the Cardinals before being traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2015.
Shelby Miller Makes Opening Day Roster
Atlanta traded Miller along with Gabe Speier to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Dansby Swanson, Ender Inciarte, and Aaron Blair that December.
Miller was on a one-year contract with the Diamondbacks with the thought he would follow ace Zack Greinke in the rotation. However, he struggled almost immediately once the season began and found himself on the injured list by May. Miller returned in June and pitched to a 2-9 record with a 7.14 ERA through the All-Star break. After the break, the Diamondbacks optioned Miller to their Triple-A affiliate in Reno. He came back up for a start in August where he gave up two runs on six hits over five innings.
Struggles and a Turnaround
One year removed from his All-Star season, Miller finished 2016 with a 6.15 ERA through 20 big league starts. He remained in Arizona in 2017 after winning his arbitration case. Miller was non-tendered in 2018 and became a free agent after making four starts coming off the injured list.
Miller bounced around the major leagues in the following seasons and opted out of the shortened 2020 COVID-19 pandemic season. He signed a one-year contract with the Dodgers ahead of the 2023 season. Miller pitched to a 1.71 ERA and a 3-0 record over 42 innings out of the bullpen. He signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Detroit Tigers in December with a club option for 2025.
Shelby will open the season coming out of the bullpen for Detroit and will set up for closer Alex Lange.
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