A’s rookie start Miller mason has been diagnosed with a mild sprain of the accessory ligament in his throwing elbow, the team informed reporters (including Martín Gallegos of MLB.com). He will stop throwing for an indefinite amount of time until he no longer feels the discomfort.
Miller hit the 15-day injury list with a forearm strain last week. It was almost immediately clear that he would be sidelined in two weeks and the team announced yesterday that he would be offering a second opinion. That raised some concerns about a possible surgery. Fortunately, Miller will avoid getting under the knife, although he looks set to be out for a long time. Gallegos noted that the A’s hope he will be able to play again at some point this season.
Unfortunately, injuries have become the subject of Miller’s professional career. A third-round pick in 2021, the 6’5″ tall player threw just six rookie innings in the summer after the draft. He lost most of the 2022 campaign to a shoulder injury, scoring just 14 innings between three minor league levels. Miller went back to scoring 16 frames 2/3 in the Arizona Fall League to close out the year.
After two minor tournaments starting in 2023, team A calls him to the big leagues for the first time. It is a positive promotion but the 24-year-old performed very well early on. He scored 21 2/3 plays with a 3.38 ERA ball in his first four starts, beating more than a quarter of opposing players. Miller displayed breakneck speed and appeared to be the most engaging starter in the worst A spin of the tournament.
The organization will have to wait a while to get a longer look at the young hurdler. Miller is clearly one of the most talented pitchers in the system but he only scored 66 2/3 innings in two years of playing professionally. He will collect major league service and be paid at the MLB minimum while he recovers. Miller won’t reach a full operational year in 2023 and is controllable until at least 2029.
