Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais has given some interesting and surprising injury information on rookie starting pitcher Bryce Miller.
Miller was put on the injured list and had to miss his final start before the All-Star break because of a finger issue but is apparently going to be ready to pitch this first time through the rotation coming out of the break.
The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:
Mariners manager Scott Servais said last Saturday that Miller (finger) will come back from the 15-day injured list and return to "the backside of our rotation coming out of the [All-Star] break, for sure," MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Servais' comments are somewhat of an about-face, considering that he told Janie McCauley of the Associated Press on July 4 that Miller wasn't going to pitch "for a while" after he was placed on the injured list a day earlier with a right middle finger blister. The rookie apparently overcame the blister issue quicker than initially anticipated, as he was throwing off flat ground from around 60 feet last weekend. The Mariners will likely re-evaluate Miller over the upcoming weekend and perhaps observe him throwing during a bullpen session before signing off on his return from the IL...
The Mariners open up the second half on Friday against the Detroit Tigers, so Miller would line up to face the Minnesota Twins next week.
This is huge news for a Mariners team that is 45-44 and just four games back of the wild card in the American League. Miller has been a revelation for them, helping keep the rotation together in the wake of injuries to Marco Gonzales and Robbie Ray, the latter of which is out for the season.
He's 5-3 this season with a 3.97 ERA and has struck out 55 batters in 59 innings.
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