Shin bruise shouldn't cost Miller a start
Cards righty hit by one-hopper in sixth inning, but he was able to finish frame
ST. LOUIS -- Shelby Miller said after the Cardinals' 3-2, extra-inning win over the Brewers on Thursday that he does not expect a bruised right shin to affect his preparation for his next start, which is scheduled to come Tuesday in Chicago.
Miller took a one-hopper off his shin in the sixth inning on a ball hit by Ryan Braun. The ball took a favorable carom to Matt Adams, who recorded the out, but it also elicited a mound meeting with the trainer and manager Mike Matheny. Miller insisted he could continue, recorded the final out of the inning and was then pinch-hit for in the bottom half of the frame.
He had wrapped up those six innings on 82 pitches.
"It just made it real easy," Matheny said, when asked if Miller's swelling ankle led to the timing of the exit. "I didn't have to think about it anymore. Once I saw him make his next few pitches, [I made up my mind]. And we had some guys down there already hot and ready to go. It was time to go."
Miller spent the next several innings in the trainers' room for treatment and was still dealing with some soreness afterward. He was hopeful that he would not have to alter any of his in-between start routine to compensate for the issue.
"I'll be ready to go by next time for sure," Miller said. "Hopefully I'll get all my running and lifting in tomorrow and it won't hold me back. I think with our trainers and modern technology today, so to say, we have some stuff that heals bruises and soreness fairly quickly. We'll get all of that taken care of in the training room."