The Athletics could use Miller as a closer in 2024, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
General manager David Forst mentioned using Miller out of the bullpen to start the 2024 campaign citing the flamethrower's prior health issues. The right-hander dealt with a UCL sprain in his elbow last season, which forced him to miss the majority of the year. Forst stated that the club would like to see Miller get through an entire season before thinking about building him back up as a starter, per Gallegos.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Works two relief innings Thursday
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Miller served as a traditional reliever against the Tigers on Thursday, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk over two-plus innings. He struck out two.
Miller followed starter Luis Medina into the game and worked the sixth and seventh frames in fairly efficient fashion, but he got pulled after 54 pitches once he surrendered three consecutive singles to open the eighth. Manager Mark Kotsay appears set to give Miller work in a variety of roles over the last week-plus of the season, as the right-hander has also worked as an opener and could see action as a bulk reliever before using the offseason to prepare for a potential rotation role in 2024.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Takes loss as opener
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Miller (0-1) took the loss as the opener against the Padres on Saturday, allowing two earned runs on two hits and three walks over one inning. He struck out two.
As his final line implies, Miller's one frame had a bit of everything, and the rookie struggled with his location plenty while firing only 17 of his 33 pitches in for strikes. Miller's ERA rose to 3.42 with the rocky outing, which saw him allow three of the first four hitters he faced to reach base before he somewhat steadied with a pair of strikeouts, although those came around two walks. Miller had posted four scoreless innings with a 6:1 K:BB across his first two appearances after returning from a long stint on the injured list, so Saturday's forgettable performance may prove to be an outlier. The right-hander is expected to log several more opener assignments, at minimum, before the conclusion of the season.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Set to open Saturday's game
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Miller is listed as the Athletics' opening pitcher for Saturday's game against the Padres.
The Athletics plan to be cautious with Miller's usage for the rest of 2023 after he recently returned from a UCL sprain in his elbow that kept him on the shelf for most of the season, so he'll likely work anywhere between 1-to-3 innings Saturday before turning the game over to the bullpen. He excelled in his most recent turn as an opener in front of Ken Waldichuk in Monday's win over Houston, striking out three while allowing no runs on one hit and one walk over two innings. Waldichuk is listed as the Athletics' starter for Sunday's series finale with the Padres, so Miller will likely be opening for Luis Medina on Saturday.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Solid performance as opener
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Miller served as the opener in the Athletics' win over the Astros on Monday and didn't factor into the decision, firing two scoreless innings during which he allowed a hit, issued a walk and recorded three strikeouts.
Miller was slated to work up to approximately 50 pitches, and he got within striking distance via his 45 offerings, 30 of which he threw during a laborious opening frame. Nathan Han of MLB.com reports the hard-throwing right-hander averaged 99.5 mph on his fastball and noted his previously ailing arm felt "awesome" following the start. Manager Mark Kotsay confirmed after the game the Athletics plan to continue deploying Miller as an opener for what remains of the season before stretching him out in spring training in anticipation of a return to the starting rotation in 2024.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Slated for 50 pitches
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Miller is expected to throw around 50 pitches or three innings Monday against the Astros, Nathan Han of MLB.com reports.
Miller saw action out of Oakland's bullpen Wednesday against the Blue Jays (no runs allowed and three strikeouts over two innings), and he's now set to move back into a starting role. The A's will unsurprisingly keep a close eye on the young right-hander as the team stretches him back out.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Set to start Monday
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Miller is scheduled to start Monday's game against the Astros, though he'll remain on a pitch count, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Miller made his first big-league appearance since May last Wednesday after being on the shelf with an elbow sprain, and he'll now move back into the rotation. The rookie right-hander threw just 27 pitches in that outing, so his pitch count is likely to be well below that of a typical starter. Miller could be deployed as more of a piggyback pitcher in front of Ken Waldichuk, who would be available to pitch Monday on five days' rest.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Impresses out of the pen
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Miller threw two perfect innings while striking out three in Wednesday's 5-2 win over Toronto.
Miller looked dominant in his return from a four-month IL stint, striking out three Blue Jays while his fastball topped out at 102 MPH. While Miller's value will be limited when pitching out of the pen, he certainly has the stuff to succeed in a high-leverage role. Overall, the rookie right-hander sports a 3.09 ERA with a 0.90 WHIP and 25:7 K:BB across 23.1 innings in the majors this season.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Will be activated this week
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Athletics manager Mark Kotsay confirmed Monday that Miller (elbow) will be activated at some point this week, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Miller made a rehab start with Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday, so the earliest he figures to rejoin the A's rotation would be Friday in Texas following Thursday's off day. The young right-hander threw just 37 pitches over four perfect innings Saturday, so his first start back would be relatively abbreviated. Miller has been out since early May because of a UCL sprain in his right elbow.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Sharp in rehab outing
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Miller (elbow) struck out four over three perfect innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Miller needed only 37 pitches to cruise through his four frames and averaged 98.2 miles per hour with his fastball. The Athletics had indicated that Saturday's outing with Las Vegas would probably be Miller's final rehab start, and if it was, he certainly passed the test with flying colors. The 25-year-old has been out since early May because of a UCL sprain in his right elbow, so his workload with the Athletics down the stretch could be quite limited. As such, Miller could make for a middling fantasy option once he returns, though he could be a strong ratio stabilizer in the innings he does pitch.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Elite velocity in rehab start
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Miller (elbow) started Triple-A Las Vegas' win over Sacramento on Tuesday, firing a scoreless first inning during which he issued two walks and recorded three strikeouts.
Miller's one frame had multiple innings worth of work built in, as he fired 29 pitches overall thanks to some control issues. However, the right-hander was able to navigate trouble successfully by utilizing his velocity, with the Aviators' official Twitter account reporting Miller threw eight pitches at 100-plus mph during the outing. While Miller was originally slated to work up to approximately 50 pitches Tuesday, the fact his velocity is in elite form and he's already logged four rehab appearances makes him a candidate to be activated when rosters expand Friday or shortly thereafter.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Next outing set for Tuesday
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Miller (elbow) will make his next rehab appearance Tuesday for Triple-A Las Vegas, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Miller could be making his final start in the minors Tuesday, as the team is considering activating him when rosters expand Sept. 1. The flamethrower is expected to toss 50 pitches or three frames in Tuesday's outing. If all goes according to plan, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Miller step back into the Oakland rotation as soon as Sunday, though he would likely be on some sort of a workload restriction if he pitches in the Athletics' series finale with the Angels.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Closing in on IL return
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Miller (elbow), who was able to hit triple digits on the radar gun in his most recent rehab start Thursday for Triple-A Las Vegas, is expected to be activated if his next outing in the minors goes well, MLB.com reports.
The right-hander is set for another start with Las Vegas early in the upcoming week, his fourth down on the farm. Assuming all goes off without a hitch, manager Mark Kotsay notes "there could be a plan" for Miller to return from the 60-day injured list when the roster expands to 28 men Sept. 1. Kotsay added that he expected Miller to be utilized with a "pitch restriction or inning limit" in such a scenario, with the idea being to have the highly promising prospect head into the offseason at full health. He worked three innings in his latest rehab start and probably won't be pushed past four or five innings in his upcoming outing with Las Vegas.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Hits triple digits in rehab outing
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Miller (elbow) threw three scoreless innings while striking out five in a rehab outing with Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday.
Per MLB Pipeline, Miller hit triple digits seven times across 45 total pitches. He's now worked 6.2 total innings across three rehab appearances, so he's still not particularly close to a full starter's workload. As a result, Miller is likely to make a few more rehab appearances, but he should have the opportunity to make a handful of starts at the big-league level prior to the close of the campaign, barring any setbacks in his recovery.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Rehab moves to Triple-A
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Miller (elbow) shifted his rehab assignment Thursday to Triple-A Las Vegas.
Miller is moving along in the Athletics' minor-league system as he completes his recovery from the mild UCL sprain that sent him to the injured list back in May. He allowed two earned runs while striking out four batters across 3.2 innings (two starts) with Single-A Stockton, topping out at 32 pitches Sunday. The 25-year-old has some more work to do on the farm if he's going to return to Oakland in a full-on starting role, but early September seems like a reasonable target.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Makes second appearance at Single-A
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Miller (elbow) surrendered two earned runs on three hits and one walk while striking out two over 1.2 innings Sunday in his second rehab start with Single-A Stockton.
Miller tossed three more pitches (32) than he did in his first rehab appearance with Stockton on Wednesday, but he recorded one fewer out Sunday while putting four runners on base in the abbreviated start. The Athletics could look to have Miller work on four or five days' rest in his next rehab outing and he aims to get stretched back out for starting duty after having been shelved since May 11 with a sprained right elbow. An early September return from the 60-day injured list still looks to be realistic for the 24-year-old right-hander.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Ready for rehab assignment
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Miller (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment this week with Single-A Stockton, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Miller threw a couple bullpen sessions in recent days, and he was given the green light to resume pitching in games. The A's will undoubtedly take the cautious route with one of their top prospects, so it could still be several weeks before he is cleared to rejoin Oakland's rotation.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Another live BP on tap
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Miller (elbow) will throw another live batting practice Saturday at the Athletics' complex in Arizona, the Associated Press reports.
The right-hander was able to get through a live 15-pitch BP session Tuesday without issue, and he'll now repeat the process for the equivalent of two innings, per the team's official site. The Athletics have maintained they remain optimistic about a 2023 return for the promising rookie, and another successful session Saturday could potentially tee up a rehab assignment.
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Athletics' Mason Miller: Nearing live session
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Miller (elbow) threw a bullpen session Saturday and said afterward that he will face live hitters next week, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
The 24-year-old has been out since May with an elbow injury, but he now has four bullpen sessions under his belt and will look to clear the next major hurdle in his recovery next week. Miller reiterated that his goal is to pitch for the A's again this season. He only made four starts before going down, but Miller impressed in that small sample (3.38 ERA, 0.98 WHIP) and looks like a potential long-term rotation piece for Oakland.
Miller (elbow) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Wednesday, the Associated Press reports.
Miller's bullpen comes in the wake of an all-fastballs flat-ground session Saturday that the right-hander apparently emerged healthy from. The fact Miller was able to throw off a mound for the first time since being placed on the injured list May 11 is certainly encouraging, and per the team's official site, manager Mark Kotsay confirmed the 24-year-old will complete at least one more bullpen session before throwing live batting practice.
