Mariners’ Bryce Miller has strong 2nd rehab start in minors

Bryce Miller took a strong step towards making his season debut for the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.

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The 27-year-old right-hander made the second start of his minor league rehab assignment as he continues to work his way back from oblique inflammation that sidelined him in spring training. After first appearing in a game for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers last week, this time he returned to Everett’s Funko Field and started a game for the Single-A AquaSox against the Spokane Indians.

Miller went three scoreless innings on Friday, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out six batters. He threw 47 pitches, 35 of which were strikes.

Miller did not allow a baserunner in his first two innings of work, and got himself out of a jam with two runners in scoring position and two outs in the third inning by striking out Indians first baseman Kevin Fitzer on four pitches.

Friday was Miller’s first time pitching for the AquaSox since he made 16 appearances for Everett in 2022, a year after he was drafted in the fourth round by the Mariners out of Texas A&M.

In Miller’s first rehab outing on April 18, he threw 33 pitches and reached up to 98.7 mph with his fastball, but allowed three runs and four hits in 1 2/3 innings in Tacoma against the Sacramento River Cats.

Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said last week that Miller likely will need a full 30-day buildup in the minors before making his season debut for the M’s after making just one start in spring training.

Injuries held Miller back during the 2025 regular season, his third in the big leagues, as he finished with a 5.68 ERA in 18 starts (90 1/3 innings) while twice landing on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. But he was perhaps Seattle’s best pitcher in the playoffs, allowing just four earned runs over three starts (14 1/3 innings) for a 2.51 ERA to help the M’s come within one win of reaching the World Series.

With Miller out of action to begin this season, the Mariners turned to Emerson Hancock to fill his spot in the rotation. The 26-year-old Hancock has been a revelation in five starts thus far, posting a 2.83 ERA, 0.872 WHIP, 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings and a ratio 7.00 strikeouts per one walk.

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