Hip Impingement Will Land Tyson Miller on IL to Open Season

In a move that may simply postpone the inevitable, the Cubs will be placing righty reliever Tyson Miller on the IL with a left hip impingement. Whether that’s a reason for his poor performance or just a convenient excuse to give the front office a couple weeks to sort out personnel moves, it was pretty evident Miller wasn’t breaking camp as a member of the active roster.

He didn’t pitch in any of the Tokyo games despite earning the trip — and the paycheck that came with it — abroad with the rest of the team. In 4.2 innings across five Cactus League appearances, he’s surrendered nine earned runs on 10 hits and four walks. His seven strikeouts would be promising if not for the other results, though he did at least pitch a scoreless frame the last time out. Then again, that outing featured a walk and a hit batter.

Miller hasn’t looked sharp this spring as his second Cubs stint continues following his acquisition from the Mariners last May in exchange for Jake Slaughter. That trade was prompted by Miller being DFAd by Seattle, after which he pitched really well out of the bullpen. With a 2.15 ERA over 50.1 innings in 49 appearances, Miller was easily one of Craig Counsell‘s most trusted and effective relievers.

That hasn’t been the case so far this spring, and the Cubs’ bullpen depth means there may not be a spot for Miller once his IL stint is up. He’s out of options, hence the Mariners needing to designate him last year and the Cubs kicking the can down the road a ways here. This seems like a situation in which they’re stashing him in case a subsequent injury or serious performance issues elsewhere necessitate Miller’s activation. Otherwise, we could see another DFA in April.

The post Hip Impingement Will Land Tyson Miller on IL to Open Season appeared first on .