RHP Miller breaks down his minor-league outing
While right-hander Shelby Miller struggled in his third rehab start on Sunday, he found some positives as he gets closer to returning to the Diamondbacks’ rotation.
“It was hit or miss. I didn’t pitch that well overall,” Miller said on Tuesday. “The first game in Jackson I threw pretty well, but the other one was kind of ... a little hiccup. I’m treating it like the second or third start in spring training and moving from there.”
The stat sheet could be alarming for Diamondbacks fans, as Miller allowed eight runs in three innings, but he was quick to note that his performance had nothing to do with lingering pain from his 2017 Tommy John surgery.
“No, no – I felt good,” he said. “Everything felt good body-wise, I just wasn’t really locked in mechanics-wise.”
Miller was able to break down those mechanics, which varied by pitch. He gave up 10 hits while throwing 65 pitches.
“My fastball command was really good,” he said. “I really gave up a lot of hits on my cutter, which was a pitch I was just kind of really working on.
“Other than that, curveball was good. Didn’t throw it enough – I probably should have thrown it a little more. Really, it’s just going out there and getting the reps.”
His next reps will come quickly. Miller is expected to throw a bullpen on Wednesday. Then, he’ll start again on Saturday with Visalia, where Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo hopes he’ll throw 80 to 85 pitches.
Lovullo hasn’t changed his tune on Miller: The team won’t rush his return.
“We’ll re-evaluate after this next outing,” Lovullo said. “I don’t think there’s any point in rushing an athlete, especially like this.”
Miller threw 37 pitches in the first inning, and Lovullo said he was glad to see him rebound after letting up some early hits.
Diamondbacks agree to terms with more draftees
The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with two of their top three picks from the 2018 draft. Outfielders Jake McCarthy, the 39th overall selection, and Alek Thomas, the 63rd overall pick, are the most recent players to agree with the club.
The team has now signed 23 of their 41 selections from this year’s draft, though their first-round pick, infielder Matt McLain, has yet to sign.
McCarthy batted .329 while tallying 12 RBIs in 20 games during his junior season at the University of Virginia.
While the Diamondbacks have typically selected more players out of college, Thomas and McLain were both drafted out of high school. At Mount Carmel High School in Illinois, Thomas batted .420 with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs over 38 games. He is also the son of Allen Thomas, the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the Chicago White Sox.