Right-hander Shelby Miller underwent elbow surgery last week, according to the club’s injury tracker at MLB.com. He had his ulnar collateral ligament and flexor tendon repaired in the operation and is likely to miss the 2026 season.
The news doesn’t come as a surprise. Arm issues were a notable part of his 2025 season. With the Diamondbacks earlier this year, he went on the injured list with a forearm strain in July. He was still on the IL when the Brewers acquired him at the deadline. Milwaukee was surely aware that it was a risky pick-up, which is why they didn’t include any prospect capital in the deal. They instead took on $2MM of Jordan Montgomery’s deal for a player to be named later or cash, meaning Arizona only got cost savings.
Miller came off the IL in mid-August but felt a “pop” in his elbow in early September. He was then diagnosed with a sprained UCL and placed on the 60-day IL. He told reporters that a second career Tommy John surgery was a distinct possibility.
The righty is an impending free agent. Since he will likely miss all of next season, his market will obviously be impacted. Pitchers in this situation will sometimes receive two-year offers. Those pacts allow hurlers to make some money while rehabbing, with the team hoping for return on that investment in the second season. Miller may be hard-pressed to find such an offer, however. He is 35 years old now, meaning his likely return in 2027 would come after his 36th birthday. The track record for pitchers coming back from a second UCL surgery isn’t as strong as after just one.
He did have a good season. He tossed 46 innings between the Diamondbacks and Brewers, allowing 2.74 earned runs per nine. His 8.1% walk rate was close to average while his 29% strikeout rate was quite strong. He had a leverage role with the Snakes before the swap, earning ten saves and eight holds. Teams will surely be interested but his rehab and recovery will determine if he can get back to that level in the future.
More to come.