Miller officially gets nod for Mariners in Game 1; Woo expected to be on ALCS roster (sources)

SEATTLE -- The Mariners made it official on Saturday: Bryce Miller will start the best-of-seven opener against the Blue Jays on Sunday.

"I'm fired up," Miller said about getting the Game 1 assignment. "Yeah, I'm ready to go. Pitching in the playoffs is something you dream of, and just getting the opportunity to start us off and get us going early and set the tone is super meaningful."

Bryan Woo is also expected to be on Seattle's 26-man ALCS roster, according to sources, but will not be available for Game 1 in any capacity. The club wants to go through another consultation with Woo on Saturday to see how he recovered after throwing an up-and-down bullpen session on Friday, as he continues to work back from pectoral inflammation.

It’s likely that the Mariners will want to see another throwing session of some sort before injecting Woo in a playoff game. He hasn't pitched in a game since exiting his Sept. 19 start in Houston, and he was not on their ALDS roster.

"We're continuing to assess his availability," manager Dan Wilson said when asked about Woo. "He seems to be rebounding pretty well. He's coming back. Right now, we're continuing to weigh what that timetable might be and when he'll be available."

Seattle’s 26-man ALCS roster is not due until Sunday morning, and the Mariners were not expected to touch down in Toronto until the 10 p.m. ET range after a late departure on Saturday.

Miller was the only healthy starter who did not pitch in Seattle’s thrilling, 3-2 win in Game 5 of the AL Division Series. But he would be on short rest for Game 1 of the ALCS. Miller started Game 4 of the ALDS on Wednesday in Detroit, throwing 55 pitches over 4 1/3 innings in an eventual loss that forced the winner-take-all Game 5.

"My last outing, I felt really good," Miller said. "I think that was the best my stuff has been in a while. So yeah, I'm excited and looking forward to the opportunity."

"We're excited to hand him the ball," Wilson said of his starter. "We'll take him as far as he can go."

Logan Gilbert or Luis Castillo would’ve been the preferred Game 1 options, both on normal rest, but both were deployed in extra innings on Friday -- which proved vital to the Mariners advancing.

Miller surrendered four hits and zero walks among the 16 Tigers batters he faced before being relieved for Gabe Speier in Game 4's major pivot point. Speier wound up allowing Miller’s inherited runner to score, then another run, then the go-ahead run an inning later on a homer to Riley Greene.