Bryce Miller is hopeful it'll only be a minimum IL stint.
The hits keep coming for the Seattle Mariners’ rotation, and not the kind they want. Bryce Miller became the latest starter sidelined with injury, landing on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with right elbow inflammation. An MRI revealed no structural damage, and the team remains hopeful it’s a short-term setback, but it’s another blow to a staff that’s already walking a tightrope.
Miller joins fellow All-Stars Logan Gilbert and George Kirby on the IL, deepening a crisis of depth that’s quietly been brewing all season. For Miller, it’s the first arm issue of his career and his first-ever stint on the injured list. And it comes during a year where he hasn’t quite looked himself, he’s carrying a 5.22 ERA through eight starts, struggling with both command and velocity.
The right-hander received a cortisone injection on Tuesday after the club reviewed MRI results from the day before. His final fastball in Sunday’s start clocked in at just 90.7 mph, a stark drop from his 2024 season average of 95 mph. His walk rate has also spiked dramatically, 12.1% this season, nearly double last year’s 6.4%. Miller revealed that the discomfort traces back to late last season but said medication and treatment allowed him to push through.
Push through he did, and impressively. He wrapped up 2024 with a 2.94 ERA over 180 1/3 innings, including a dominant 1.94 ERA across his final 15 starts. That stretch had many believing he was ready to cement his place atop Seattle’s rotation.
Gilbert is still working his way back from a right elbow flexor strain, and Kirby, shelved with right shoulder inflammation, has been out since the season began. Kirby is set to make a third rehab start for Triple-A Tacoma on Friday, and if that goes smoothly, he could be reactivated by the end of Seattle’s upcoming road trip.
The Mariners, however, have managed to weather the storm so far. A red-hot offense carried them to first place in the AL West, despite a recent skid. But starting Thursday, the Mariners face a grueling 10-game, three-city road trip with no off-days, kicking off against a surging Padres team in San Diego.
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Seattle has yet to announce its pitching plans for the weekend, but there’s internal discussion about pushing Bryan Woo up to pitch Sunday. That would mean shortening his preferred six-day rest to five, but it would also allow the Mariners to avoid wasting one of their most effective arms against the struggling White Sox (13-29) early next week.
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After two straight seasons of remarkable rotation health, leading the majors in innings pitched both years, the Mariners’ pitching depth is now being tested.
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