SEATTLE -- Bryce Miller’s rehab assignment began about as efficiently as the Mariners could have hoped for Friday night.
Miller -- who was targeting 55 pitches in his first game action since June 6 -- threw 52 (42 strikes) in a four-inning outing with Triple-A Tacoma at Sugar Land. He struck out six of the 13 batters he faced, allowed one hit and didn’t walk anybody.
The right-hander logged eight swings-and-misses with his four-seam fastball, which topped out at 97.6 mph, while also getting whiffs with the slider, knuckle curve and splitter.
Leading up to Friday, Miller threw two live batting-practice sessions against hitters, building up from around 25 pitches in his first one on July 19 to 40 on July 25.
Miller will probably make at least two more rehab starts with the Rainiers -- both Logan Gilbert and George Kirby made three before returning to Seattle when coming back from their own arm injuries earlier this season. That being said, general manager Justin Hollander has said that the Mariners want Miller to be built up slightly more than Gilbert and Kirby were before he returns, due to it being later in the season.
“I do think it puts a lot of strain on the other members of the staff if he’s only built to 55 or 60 pitches when we ask him to come here,” Hollander said back on July 21. “We want him to have the ability to go out and feel confident that he can pitch a start and that we’re not artificially limiting him and pulling the cord after three or four innings because he doesn’t have the volume built.”
Even if Miller does end up requiring a fourth rehab start, he could very likely make his return to Seattle before the end of August.
The 26-year-old is on the injured list for the second time this season as he deals with a bone spur in his right elbow. He first landed on the IL on May 14 and returned after just 17 days, but was only able to make two starts with the Mariners before going back on the shelf.
In 10 starts this season, Miller has gone 2-5 and posted a 5.73 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP, compared to the 2.94 ERA and 0.98 WHIP he had in his breakout 2024 season.