EVERETT, Wash. -- Tacoma. Everett. Tacoma. Back to Everett.
Bryce Miller's rehab assignment, coming back from the left oblique strain that landed him on the injured list during Spring Training, continued its back-and-forth journey around Western Washington on Wednesday, with five innings for High-A Everett in the AquaSox’s 10-0 win over Hillsboro at Funko Field.
The plus side of the Mariners having two local affiliates is that rehabbing players can stay close to the big league club; Miller spent most of the first five weeks of the regular season at T-Mobile Park, working with Seattle’s training staff.
The downside?
“The hardest part’s the traffic,” Miller joked. “Every time it’s been an hour and a half.”
Now, Miller is hoping he’s nearing a full-time return to the Mariners’ rotation, and way fewer trips up and down I-5.
That return could be coming real soon for the 27-year-old right-hander. Miller threw five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks. He officially finished on 61 pitches (38 strikes), but that figure doesn’t include a brief trip he took to the bullpen to stay warm during a five-run bottom of the fifth, or another 10-pitch spell in the bullpen after his outing ended.
“They had a lot of quick at-bats today. A lot of ground balls,” Miller said with a smile. “I felt like 2026 George Kirby.”
If Miller does need another rehab start, it would most likely be Tuesday morning with Triple-A Tacoma, and another trip through traffic to Cheney Stadium.
Since opening his assignment on April 18 with three runs allowed in 1 2/3 innings in Tacoma, Miller has tossed 12 scoreless frames between two High-A games and one Triple-A outing. He’s added to his workload both in terms of innings and pitch count, more worried with building up than anything to do with any injury.
“I think I built up really well,” Miller said. “The body’s responded 100%. … It’s been a month and a half since I felt anything in the oblique. We’re fully past that. The last four starts have just been Spring Training for me, trying to build up, work on stuff, see stuff play in game.
“Every year I come out hot in Spring Training and the velo’s up, and then hit a little dip as the body and the arm get fatigued. I feel like that was the last two weeks, was the little dip, and today I felt good until the last pitch. I think we’re past that Spring Training soreness now. Just have to go out and compete and get the pitch count all the way out.”
But maybe the back-and-forth nature of Miller’s month -- different cities, different fields, different mounds every week -- has had a positive effect on his road back.
“Trying to get away from the environment and focus on what I need to do that day, that’s the main thing,” he said.
Thursday will mark 70 days since Miller’s lone Spring Training appearance on Feb. 26, and 57 since he had a bullpen cut short by oblique discomfort. Now, his impending return to Seattle is going to force decisions to be made with the Mariners rotation.
Emerson Hancock, who for the third straight season made the Opening Day roster to cover for an injured starter, has inserted himself as one of the breakout stars league-wide, leading the rotation in ERA (2.79), WHIP (0.96) and strikeouts (46).
Luis Castillo has posted a 6.29 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP in seven starts, but looked better his last time on the hill and is still the Mariners’ most experienced arm. Bryan Woo had back-to-back outings but shook them off Tuesday to the tune of six dominant innings against the Braves. Kirby’s 52 innings pitched are second in MLB only to the Yankees' Max Fried (52 2/3).
Adding Miller to the equation might make things complicated. But he’s more than ready to force those conversations -- and put an end to the weekly battles with traffic.
“I’m ready to go,” Miller said. “I’m glad that I’ve been up here and I can be at the home games, but it’s not the same. Just knowing that I haven’t contributed at all yet, besides booing Cal [Raleigh] from time to time and talking to the guys. I’m ready to get back on the field and help the team put some zeroes up and string some wins together.”