The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Miller placed on disabled list with left shoulder injury
Andrew Miller is back on the 10-day disabled list — this time with swelling in his left shoulder, the Indians announced on Aug. 29.
Manager Terry Francona sounded optimistic about Miller being ready for the start of the playoffs the first week in October, though there is no timetable for Miller’s return.
“Yesterday when he came in from the off day, he just felt a little balky, whatever adjective you want to use, and we talked to him and we talked to the medical staff and through the course of the day we decided, ‘OK, we’ll go get him scanned’ more for I think piece of mind,” Francona said before the Indians hosted the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. “He has a little bit of swelling in his bursa sac. So they injected it (with cortisone) and that will hopefully knock it right out.
“He’ll be down for four or five days to let that work and then we’ll ramp him back up. But it was the right thing to do for him. We’ve talked about it before. Even when it’s maybe not convenient, you need to do the right thing. Andrew is going to pitch for a long time and he’s carried such a big load for us that we need to look out for him a little bit, too.”
Miller, 33, was on the DL twice earlier in the season with inflammation in his right knee. He has pitched a total of 24 innings in 27 appearances and has a 3.38 ERA. He pitched 62 2/3 innings in 57 games last year with a 1.44 ERA with two stints on the disabled list because of problems in his right knee.
The most recent injury to the 6-foot-7 lefty is technically described as “external impingement.” According to aaos.org, impingement occurs “when you raise your arm to shoulder height, the space between the acromion (top of the shoulder) and rotator cuff narrows. The acromion can rub against (or “impinge” on) the tendon and the bursa, causing irritation and pain.”
Fortunately for Miller, he can continue working to keep his legs strong while the cortisone works on his shoulder.
“Sometimes things happen, so you just do the best you can,” Francona said. “He’s not going to quit and we’re not going to quit either. You make adjustments when you have to.
“I think work helps. He went right into the weight room and he was doing stuff, lower body. Those types of things have a way of clearing your head, too. I saw him in there today and he was working on (his legs) and he can continue to do that stuff. We’ve lost a little time for him to pitch. But if he comes back and he feels good, the idea that he can still be Andrew may be not as much volume but ...”
Francona did not finish his sentence.
Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer (stress fracture in his right fibula) is also trying to beat the clock to get ready for the postseason.
Tyler Olson, also a lefthanded relief pitcher, was recalled from Columbus to fill Miller’s roster spot. This is Olson’s third stint with the Indians this season. He is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in 32 outings over 20 innings pitched.
Olson pitched 20 innings in 2017 and did not allow a run.
“Guys burst on to the scene and it’s almost like you’re playing with house money,” Francona said. “Then all of a sudden you’ve got to show up in April and they put pressure on themselves or whatever.
“It’s still nice to have him back because we know what he can do and we know what kind of kid he is, what kind of teammate he is, how much he cares. So, it’s nice to have him back with us.”
Olson has been tagged for four home runs this season.