The San Francisco giants placed the left-handed lift Erik Miller on the 15-day injured list during the weekend. Miller was the best SouthPaw of the enclosure of managers from Manager Bob Melvin this season, displaying an excellent MPM of 1.50s despite the withdrawal (22) and the walking numbers (20) in 30 lanches launched (36 appearances). Miller revealed more details on his injury in a conversation with Shayna Rubin of San Francisco Chronicle.
Miller told Rubin that an MRI had revealed a sprain in his elbow throwing and would prevent him from pitching for a while. “The most optimistic calendar to go back again, thinks Miller, would be five weeks from Monday,” Rubin reported. It is not known if the estimate of Miller of five weeks was simply back in the mound or to join the club of Grande League. If it will take five weeks to get started again, it would probably take a few more weeks before it is ready to activate the injured list.
While Miller (and the Giants) have been clearly relieved that his elbow injury does not require surgery, it remains to be seen if it can be counted to return at one point this season. With the giants hoping
The Giants enclosure currently has two veterans left -handers who have been called because the organization’s pension depth has been tested. Joey Lucchesi has been solid on six appearances since his call after a promising start to the season in Triple-A. The other Southpaw, however, Scott Alexander joined the giants after his release by the Rockies and fought powerfully to Triple-A. A launcher focused on contacts, Alexander may have simply been particularly subject to the difficulties in the friendly environments of Coors Field and the Pacific Coast League,
The Giants made a successful exchange last month by acquiring Rafael Devers. No one expects them to make another so massive before the deadline, but director general Zack Minasian has already hinted that the team expects to be “very active” in the coming weeks. Miller’s injury will obviously play in this calculation.
Even before Miller’s injury, the notable decline in its walking rates and withdrawal last season created enough question points to potentially justify the addition of another left -hander to the enclosure of the lifts. Now, with the return of Miller at least a month, it seems that the giants targeting a proven SouthPaw have gone from a possibility to a necessity.
