Detroit Tigers reliever Shelby Miller gears up for rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo
Detroit Tigers reliever Shelby Miller believes he has dodged major injury.
Miller, a veteran right-hander, expects to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Toledo. The 33-year-old has recovered from right ulnar nerve inflammation, which required a hydrodissection procedure. Miller has thrown three bullpens in his build-up process, including his latest Sunday at Comerica Park.
"Just getting some strength around the nerve and breaking up the scar tissue," Miller said. "I think the needle, or whatever it's called, the water thing, probably could have helped a little bit. You can't really say what helped with it, but it's feeling a lot better. I know that. It's not nearly as stiff as it was, so that's a positive."
The Tigers placed Miller on in the injured list May 13, retroactive to May 12.
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Miller has a 4.41 ERA, six walks and 15 strikeouts across 16⅓ innings in 15 relief appearances for the Tigers this season. He struggled throughout his past 10 outings, with a 7.71 ERA. His fastball velocity typically averages 93-94 mph, but it was at 91-92 mph in the two outings before landing on the injured list.
The decrease in velocity concerned him.
"Nothing was hurting when I was throwing," Miller said. "It was more of like, 'I don't throw 91,' so something was off. I'm assuming that it was just fatigue in there. It wasn't ready to perform at this level. ... It just wasn't there, but it's been a lot better lately."
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Miller had trouble bouncing back between appearances.
He dealt with symptoms of stiffness and soreness.
"Performance was down," he said. "I chalked it up to getting myself better. It's still early in the season. There's no reason to push it and injure something else further. We all sat down and thought that was the wisest decision."
In the offseason, the Tigers signed Miller — a 12-year MLB veteran who began his career as a starter — to a one-year, $3.25 million contract, which includes a $4.25 million team option for 2025.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers reliever Shelby Miller gears up for rehab assignment
