Mariners’ No. 2 prospect Miller debuted against the A’s

TORONTO – The next wave of top-tier talent in the Mariners’ heavy-pitch pipeline has arrived in the majors, as the club announced Tuesday that it has selected the right-hander’s contract. bryce miller of Double-A Arkansas.

Miller, ranked as Seattle’s No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline No. 88 overall, he’ll start Game 1 of Tuesday’s series against the A’s in Oakland, and will remain in the Mariners’ rotation for the foreseeable future. The Mariners also announced that infielder Tommy La Stella has been designated for assignment.

After a strong spring but a mostly uneven start to the regular season, Miller could represent Seattle’s 2023 replacement for Robbie Ray, who suffered a left forearm strain in his first start. Ray learned last week that the injury require season-ending surgery.

The Mariners had used Chris Flexen in that spot, but he struggled to post a 10.58 ERA in four starts, leading to a transition back to the bullpen, while Easton McGee, who made his first MLB start on Saturday in Toronto, he hit the 15-day rule. He left on Sunday with a left forearm strain.

Enter Miller, who was always meant to contribute in 2023, but when would be based on circumstances.

Miller hasn’t impressed since a strong spring training, but scouts suggested his stuff has still worked and the leading numbers might be more indicative of working on specific points of development in certain sequences, such as pitching on specific counts.

Opposing hitters have a slash line of .281/.306/.573 (.879 OPS) against Miller with five home runs in four starts, in which he has a 6.79 ERA. His strikeout numbers are down, too, with 18 in 19 2/3 innings.

Among the Mariners’ next wave of young pitchers, Miller was the clear choice over Emerson Hancock, whose development has been slower due to injuries early in his career, and Bryan Woo, who has just 74 career innings, also due to injuries. .

Seattle will also reposition its rotation and move its other starters back to allow Miller to debut against bottom-seeded Oakland instead of the 2022 World Series champion Astros on Friday, when the spot was scheduled for next.

A fourth-round pick out of Texas A&M in 2021, Miller made the biggest leap in the organization in 2022, climbing three minor league affiliates while jumping from No. 24 to No. 2 in the Mariners’ prospect rankings.

Miller was also a strikeout machine, going 163 in 133 2/3 innings for a 30% rate. Most tellingly, his stuff withstood the rigors of 27 starts, and he wasted no time, a byproduct of rigorous arm-care routine, he said. It created the opportunity for him. to make an impression in major league spring training this year, and he did it right that in four Cactus League outings.

“I thought my stuff is good enough to throw to major league hitters, just go out there and give it a try,” Miller said in March.

It’s the fortification of Miller’s secondary pitches, a curveball and a slider, that gets him promoted.

“He’s got them all, with one change at the top,” manager Scott Servais said in the spring. “It’s very, very good. I definitely think he’s a mixed bag starting pitcher based on his delivery, his stuff, his demeanor, his whole (profile).

“I think he’s a starting pitcher. It doesn’t mean he can’t throw out of the bullpen, but I see him as a starter.”

To clear a 40-man roster spot for Miller, the Mariners sent reliever Diego Castillo to Triple-A Tacoma after moving him up via waivers. Castillo could have turned down the outright and become a free agent due to his more than three years in the MLB service timebut doing so would have lost the remainder of his $2.95 million salary by 2023.

Acquired at the 2021 trade deadline, Castillo experienced a significant decline this year, posting a 6.23 ERA in 8 2/3 innings, during which he walked as many batters as he struck out (seven) and also gave up two home runs.

Castillo also experienced a 1.6 mph decrease in average fastball speed, to 94.2 mph. Ideally, he solves his problems in Tacoma and contributes later this year.