PITTSBURGH -- Shelby Miller's long road back from Tommy John surgery will add a chapter Monday when he is activated off the 60-day disabled list to start against the Marlins in Miami.
Miller, who underwent surgery last May, joined the D-backs in Pittsburgh on Thursday, but will not be added to the roster until Monday.
In the meantime, the team demoted Matt Koch, whose place in the rotation Miller will be taking, and recalled right-handed reliever Jake Barrett to give the D-backs an extra bullpen arm for the four-game series with the Pirates.
Miller made four appearances in extended spring games at the team's Salt River Fields Spring Training complex and four Minor League rehab starts -- two for Double-A Jackson and a pair for Class A Visalia.
"Not assuming my first one back [in the Majors] is going to be perfect," Miller said. "Command was the last thing for me to come back, but I think that's there right now. I feel good. Everything out of the stretch and out of the windup feels solid. I think I'm in a good place overall. I wouldn't be here if everyone didn't think I was ready to pitch here."
Talking trade
With the non-waiver Trade Deadline a little more than a month away, D-backs general manager Mike Hazen would like to see injured outfielders Steven Souza Jr. and A.J. Pollock, along with Miller and fellow pitchers Randall Delgado and Robbie Ray, back before he makes a decision on trade targets.
"You're always looking at improvements that need to be made, but the position player club, we're hopeful that when those guys come back, it's going to be in a pretty good spot, plus or minus some things we might do," Hazen said. "I'd imagine traditionally at the Deadline you're looking at your bullpen more than anything else, just given the starters we're going to hope to have. But the issue is an injury could change all of that in the next six weeks. I'd like to see those five guys come back and then assess. I'm assuming we're going to need to make some adjustments, but I'd like to see that first."
What about Manny?
A recent report by MLB Network's Jon Paul Morosi said the D-backs had checked in with the Orioles about shortstop Manny Machado, who is a free agent after the season and could be available on the market.
"Yeah, I mean, I've probably talked to 25 of the 30 GMs already," Hazen said. "You ask about everything, right? Anybody that's available you have to at least talk about and see where there could be a fit, keep us in mind in the future if something comes up, those types of things."