Jake Marisnick Accepts Outright Assignment With White Sox
TODAY: As noted by Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun Times, Marisnick has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Charlotte, where he will serve as outfield depth for the White Sox going forward.
May 21: The White Sox have announced that they have designated outfielder Jake Marisnick for assignment. The move opens up spots on both the active and 40-man rosters for outfielder Clint Frazier, who’s contract has been selected as was previously reported.
Marisnick, 32, was used primarily as a defensive replacement as he appeared in nine games despite stepping up to the plate just twice during his tenure with the White Sox. Prior to his time on the south side, which began when he signed a minor league deal with the club back in January, Marisnick had already played in the majors for six organizations, with the White Sox standing as his seventh.
A third round pick by the Blue Jays in the 2009 draft, Marisnick made his MLB debut with the Marlins in 2013 before being dealt to the Astros at the 2014 trade deadline. That deal would kick off a five and a half season tenure in Houston during which Marisnick primarily played center field, slashing .232/.285/.396 with a wRC+ of 85 during 631 games with the club. Marisnick’s tenure in Houston came to an end during the 2019-20 offseason, when he was dealt to the Mets in early December.
Thanks to his superlative outfield defense, which earned him +39 Outs Above Average between the 2016 and 2019 seasons, Marisnick has found part time roles with the Mets, Cubs, Padres, and now the White Sox since departing Houston, with a .233/.288/.403 slash line that’s good for an 87 wRC+ in 316 plate appearances. Now Marisnick figures to look for his eighth club in four seasons. Assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, Marisnick will have the opportunity to elect free agency and sign elsewhere, likely on a minor league deal with a club in need of upper-level outfield depth in the minors.
The move opens up a roster spot for Frazier, who returns to Chicago after signing with the Cubs last season. The fifth overall pick by Cleveland in the 2013 draft, Frazier slashed an impressive .267/.351/.485 (123 wRC+) in 447 plate appearances between 2018 and 2020 with the Yankees, but has otherwise struggled with injuries throughout his career. Still, the 28-year-old Frazier showed the ability to be a useful bench bat in 19 games with the Cubs last year, with a .216/.356/.297 slash line that was good for a wRC+ of 97. Going forward, he figures to compete for starts in right field alongside Gavin Sheets and Adam Haseley.
Jose Iglesias Opts Out Of Padres Deal
Veteran infielder Jose Iglesias has opted out of his minors deal with the Padres, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
A veteran of 11 MLB seasons, the 33-year-old Iglesias has been a quality glove-first middle infield option for big league clubs ever since his major league debut with the Red Sox in 2011. With more than 1,000 games in the majors under his belt, Iglesias owns a career slash line of .279/.319/.382, good for a wRC+ of 87 with a career strikeout rate of just 12.4%. Most recently, Iglesias played 118 games for the Rockies in 2022, with a .292/.328/.380 slash line (85 wRC+) and 12% strikeout rate that was largely in line with his career norms.
The majority of Iglesias’s value throughout his career has come from his glove, however, as Iglesias has ranked as one of the top defensive shortstops in the league since his debut in 2011 according to both UZR and OAA, with the fourth-most UZR and ninth-most OAA, minimum 1,000 innings at the position. That being said, metrics have soured on Iglesias’s glovework in recent years, with Statcast considering him a roughly league average defender over the past two seasons while Defensive Runs Saved considers him a whopping 26 runs below average over that same timeframe.
Still, as a veteran capable of solid defense up the middle with a decent bat, Iglesias could make a solid bench contributor for teams in need of infield help. That’s allowed him to secure minor league pacts with both the Marlins and the Padres since the end of the 2022 campaign, though neither club ultimately made the decision to promote him to their big league roster. Now back on the open market, Iglesias will look for a third organization to offer him a role, presumably on another minor league deal.
As for the Padres, Iglesias’s decision represents another blow to the club’s infield depth after Manny Machado hit the injured list with a fracture in his hand earlier this month and Ha-Seong Kim left yesterday’s game after taking a pitch off his knee. That being said, the club still sports Roughned Odor, Brandon Dixon, and Jake Cronenworth among their capable infield options alongside Xander Bogaerts, to say nothing of Fernando Tatis Jr. who converted to outfield work this season following the acquisition of Bogaerts.
West Notes: Buehler, Rockies, Blackburn
Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery last August, and recently told reporters that the date he’s targeting for a return to action this season is September 1. While not unheard of, a 12-month recovery timeline from Tommy John surgery is a rare feat for pitchers, particularly those rehabbing from the procedure for a second time, as Buehler is.
Despite the seemingly long odds, Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted yesterday that the possibility remains on the table, with one notable caveat: Buehler’s return to the Dodgers could come out of the bullpen rather than as a member of the starting rotation. If Buehler indeed makes his return later this season as a reliever, it would be a notable change of pace for the 28-year-old righty. 106 of Buehler’s 115 appearances in the majors have come as a starter, and he has come out of the bullpen just once since the start of the 2018 campaign.
In those 10 1/3 innings of work out of the bullpen so far in his career, Buehler has struggled to a 11.32 ERA. Of course, such a small sample that’s over half a decade old at this point matters far less than Buehler’s more recent work, which has been nothing short of dominant. Since the start of the 2018 campaign, Buehler has posted a phenomenal 2.95 ERA that’s 40% better than league average by measure of ERA+ with an equally strong 3.22 FIP in 629 innings of work at the front of the Dodgers’ rotation. The highlight of his career to this point came in 2021, when he made an MLB-leading 33 starts while posting a phenomenal 2.47 ERA (171 ERA+) with a 3.16 FIP that earned him a top-4 finish in Cy Young Award voting.
Whether as a starter or a reliever, a pitcher of Buehler’s caliber would surely be an asset to the Dodgers both down the stretch and as they gear up for a hypothetical playoff run. While the Dodgers have a plethora of viable rotation options, Dustin May, Julio Urias, Michael Grove, and Ryan Pepiot are all currently on the injured list alongside Buehler, and both Noah Syndergaard and Tony Gonsolin have spent time on the shelf previously this season as well. Given the number of options that could be at the club’s disposal, and the number of injuries they’ve suffered already this season, it’s near impossible to predict what LA’s rotation could look like come September, whether Buehler is ready for a return or not.
More from around the West divisions…
- In the same article, Heyman also notes that the Rockies have interest in former Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore for a high-ranking front office role, though the club appears to be content with Bill Schmidt as GM. Heyman notes that Moore expressed he hadn’t heard about Colorado’s interest in his services. Nonetheless, it’s notable that the Rockies, a club that has typically been known for hiring within the organization for their front office, would seek the services of an external candidate. Moore was fired by the Royals last season after sixteen years at the helm of the organization, during which he oversaw the club’s 2015 World Series championship. Moore was hired by the Rangers as a senior advisor to the baseball operations department in November.
- Athletics right-hander Paul Blackburn is poised to make his first start of the 2023 campaign sometime next week, as noted by Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Blackburn started the season on the injured list with a torn fingernail and had the start of his season delayed further by a blister on his pitching hand, but now appears to be close to a return. The 29-year-old Blackburn got his first extended look in the rotation last season, when he posted a solid 3.62 ERA in the first half en route to becoming a 2022 All-Star. Unfortunately, Blackburn would pitch just 14 1/3 innings in the second half, allowing 14 runs in three starts before heading to the IL with finger inflammation. Upon his return to the A’s rotation, Blackburn figures to help steady a group that has featured little certainty beyond JP Sears.
The Opener: Glasnow, Vasquez, Rockies
As the 2023 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout Memorial Day weekend:
1. Glasnow to return this weekend:
The Rays pitching staff is set to get a significant boost this weekend with the return of oft-injured ace Tyler Glasnow, who has been on the injured list with an oblique issue all season. Glasnow’s return could transform an already-dominant Rays pitching staff, helping to make up for the losses of Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen earlier this season. Since the start of the 2019 season, Glasnow’s 2.87 FIP ranks third among all starters with at least 200 innings of work, only behind Carlos Rodon and Jacob deGrom. Of course, that dominance is coupled with frequent injuries that have limited Glasnow to just 212 2/3 innings during that timeframe. Glasnow figures to return to the mound for the Rays on Saturday against the Dodgers. A corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Glasnow on the active roster.
2. Vasquez to make MLB debut:
The Yankees are expected to call up right-hander Randy Vasquez to start this evening’s game against the Padres. A corresponding move will be necessary before tonight’s game, which begins at 6:05pm CT, to make room for Vasquez on the active roster. The start will be the 24-year-old Vasquez’s MLB debut. The young righty came into the 2023 campaign with an impressive 3.10 ERA in 307 2/3 career minor league innings, including an excellent 2021 season where he pitched to a 2.52 ERA in 107 1/3 innings split between the Single-A, High-A, and Double-A levels. Vasquez has struggled so far in 2023, however, with a 4.85 ERA through nine starts in his first taste of the Triple-A level.
Despite Vasquez’s struggles to open the season, the Yankees will nonetheless lean on their youngster for tonight’s game thanks in part to a lack of options in the rotation. Frankie Montas and Carlos Rodon are both on the injured list, and while the club recently welcomed Luis Severino back from his own injury, right-hander Domingo German is still serving a suspension for violation of the league’s foreign substance policy. That leaves the club in position to turn to Vasquez, who will be tasked with handling a Padres lineup that has under performed in the early going this season, ranking in the bottom ten of both runs scored and team OPS this season despite featuring big names like Juan Soto, Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis Jr.
3. Rockies waiting on injury updates:
The Rockies currently have a whopping twelve players on the injured list at the moment, and it appears the injury bug is continuing to haunt the team. Both outfielder Brenton Doyle and right-hander Luis Cessa left games last night (Doyle with the big league club, Cessa at the Triple-A level) with apparent injuries. Doyle is set to undergo further testing to determine the severity of his injury, though slugger Nolan Jones is poised to join the roster in his place if necessary, per MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. The situation regarding Cessa is murkier, though any missed time for the 31-year-old righty would be a blow to the depth of a pitching staff that has already lost German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela, Noah Davis, and Ryan Feltner.
The Opener: Hendricks, Braves, Jansen
As the 2023 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Hendricks slated to return:
After nearly a year away from the major league mound rehabbing from shoulder surgery, Cubs veteran Kyle Hendricks is slated to be activated from the injured list to start tonight’s game against the Mets. A key cog in the rotation during the Cubs’ last competitive window, Hendricks was among the most reliable starters in the game from 2016-2020 as he posted a 3.00 ERA (143 ERA+) and 3.40 FIP. Since the start of the 2021 season, however, Hendricks has managed just 265 1/3 innings of work with severely diminished results. His 4.78 ERA over the past two campaigns is 13% below league average, a far cry the performances that saw him garner Cy Young votes in 2016 and 2020.
The Cubs are surely hoping the last remaining member of the 2016 World Series team will be able to return to form and help solidify a rotation that features a great deal of uncertainty behind Marcus Stroman, Justin Steele, and Drew Smyly. Offseason acquisition Jameson Taillon has struggled to an 8.10 ERA with a 4.93 FIP in 26 2/3 innings, while youngster Hayden Wesneski was recently demoted to Triple-A after posting a 5.03 ERA and 5.92 FIP in eight major league starts. A corresponding move will be required to make room for Hendricks on the active roster before this evening’s game, which will begin at 6:40pm CT.
2. Braves to recall Dodd:
After losing a pair of quality rotation arms in Max Fried and Kyle Wright to long-term injuries, the Braves are set to call up left-hander Dylan Dodd to start tonight’s game against the Phillies. Dodd made his MLB debut earlier this season and has posted a 6.46 ERA in three major league starts with a 5.69 FIP. Dodd has also struggled in Triple-A this season, with a 6.67 ERA in 27 innings of work. Despite those concerning numbers, Dodd and the Braves will hope for a rebound this evening. A corresponding move will be required to make room for Dodd on the active roster.
Should the young lefty continue to struggle, further rotation reinforcements could be just around the corner, as right-hander Michael Soroka continues working his way back to a major league mound for the first time since the 2020 campaign. Of course, Dodd could also follow in the footsteps of young lefty Jared Shuster, who also struggled in his initial call to the big leagues but has posted smoother results in two starts since returning to the Majors earlier this month.
3. Jansen exits with groin issue:
Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen exited yesterday’s game with what the club termed left groin tightness. The injury’s severity is currently unclear, but MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson noted that Tyler Heineman, the only extra catcher on Toronto’s 40-man roster, was removed from a minor league game last night following Jansen’s injury.
In 36 games this season, Jansen has slashed just .207/.273/.413 (86 wRC+), but that includes a dismal 1-for-25 slump to begin the season. Since breaking out of that funk, he’s posted a heartier .250/.314/.510 slash in 105 plate appearances, which lines up reasonably well with last year’s .260/.339/.516 performance. Should Jansen miss time, that would likely mean a return to full-time duties behind the plate for Alejandro Kirk, who has slashed .230/.348/.319 (93 wRC+) in 38 games this season.
The Opener: A’s, Morel, Brewers
As the 2023 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. A’s stadium deal on the horizon?
Yesterday, it was reported that the Athletics have reached a tentative agreement with Nevada legislators regarding the financials for a stadium in Las Vegas. Though the deal has not been made official, it’s possible that process could begin quickly. Mick Akers and Steve Sebelius of the Las Vegas Review Journal note that the A’s stadium bill still needs to be formally presented to the state’s legislature, a move which could happen as soon as today. If passed by the legislature and signed into law by Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, the stadium project will still have to be approved by a handful of other parties, but the most significant hurdle in the A’s relocation effort will have been cleared.
2. Morel’s hot streak:
Cubs youngster Christopher Morel is off to a torrid start in 2023. After tearing up Triple-A to the tune of a .330/.425/.730 slash line across 29 games to open the season, Morel was promoted to Chicago and has seen his production reach new heights while playing second base and all three outfield spots. In twelve major league games so far this season, Morel boasts a slash line of .367/.404/.980 that’s good for an unbelievable 265 wRC+. His nine home runs leave him tied for 32nd in the majors with sluggers like Freddie Freeman, Paul Goldschmidt, and Juan Soto despite having played less than a quarter of the games that the aforementioned trio have.
Perhaps most impressively, Morel is now on a five-game streak with at least one home run after launching a solo homer off Mets right-hander Stephen Nogosek last night. Should Morel hit another long ball, he’ll become just the 34th player in major league history with a home run streak of six games or longer. Morel and the Cubs take on the Mets tonight at 6:40pm CT.
3. Brewers’ rotation:
The Brewers have an entire rotation’s worth of arms on the injured list, with each of Brandon Woodruff, Wade Miley, Eric Lauer, Aaron Ashby and Jason Alexander sidelined at the moment. The slate of injuries prompted Milwaukee to bring in veteran righty Julio Teheran, who reportedly agreed to a big league deal with the Brewers yesterday after opting out of a minor league pact with the Padres a day prior. The Brewers have yet to announce the move, though with Thursday’s starter currently listed as TBD, they’ll likely do so in the near future (assuming that start is earmarked for Teheran). Milwaukee has an open 40-man spot but will still need to make a corresponding 26-man roster move to add Teheran.
With so many arms on the injured list, it’s fair to wonder whether the Brewers might look for further ways to bolster that rotation depth. Prior to the agreement with Teheran, general manager Matt Arnold told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy that the Brewers had also considered prospect Robert Gasser for his debut, making him a name to keep an eye on in the event of further injuries.
The Opener: Miller, Gore, MLBTR Chat
As MLB’s 2023 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Miller to debut:
The Dodgers are reportedly planning to select the contract of top pitching prospect Bobby Miller ahead of this evening’s game in Atlanta. A consensus top-30 prospect in the game entering the season, Miller boasts a 100 mph fastball and has routinely struck out over 30% of batters faced throughout the minors. He’s been off to a shaky start so far in 2023, with a 5.65 ERA across four starts and a strikeout rate of just 19.7% to go with a 9.8% walk rate in a tiny sample of just 14 1/3 innings of work. Shaky start notwithstanding, Miller’s raw talent provides plenty of reason for optimism that he can be an asset to the Dodgers both today and going forward. He’s not currently on the 40-man roster, meaning the club will need to make a corresponding move to free up space for the young right-hander.
2. Gore to face San Diego:
Nationals lefty MacKenzie Gore will face the club that drafted him third overall in the 2017 draft this evening, as the Padres head to Nationals Park for a three-game set. Gore, a longtime top prospect who made his big league debut for the Padres last season, was sent to the Nationals mid-season as part of the blockbuster that brought Juan Soto to San Diego. Now Gore, who sports a solid 3.69 ERA and 3.67 FIP through 46 1/3 innings of work, will face down his former team and their star-studded lineup that includes Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts. This series could prove to be a pivotal one for the Padres. Despite lofty expectations in San Diego, the club enters the series with a 21-26 record that puts them eight games back of their rival Dodgers in the NL West.
3. MLBTR Chat today:
With around 30% of the 2023 campaign now in the books, there’s still a handful of surprise teams in good positions in the standings, and many expected playoff contenders struggling. If the events of the season so far have spurred any questions in your mind about your favorite team or the league as a whole, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.
White Sox Place Mike Clevinger On 15-Day IL
May 22: The Sox announced that Scholtens has indeed been recalled from Charlotte to take Clevinger’s spot on the roster. They’ll go with a bullpen game against Cleveland tonight rather than giving Scholtens a conventional start, however. Right-hander Jimmy Lambert, who hasn’t pitched more than 1 2/3 innings in any outing this year, has been announced as Chicago’s starter.
May 21: The White Sox placed right-hander Mike Clevinger on the 15-day IL, retroactive to May 18, with wrist inflammation prior to today’s game against the Royals, the club announced. Clevinger was expected to start tomorrow’s game against the Guardians, but will instead be out for at least the rest of the month. He’ll be first eligible to return in early June, though there’s no clear timeline for Clevinger’s return at this time. No corresponding move has been announced, with the White Sox expecting to make a move ahead of tomorrow’s game against Cleveland.
Clevinger once appeared to be among the most promising young starters in the sport, as he posted a 2.96 ERA and 3.39 FIP over 489 1/3 innings from 2017-2020. That four year stretch of dominance saw him record a 28% strikeout rate while walking just 9% of batters he faced. Unfortunately for Clevinger, he would miss the entire 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, ultimately returning to the mound early in the 2022 campaign.
Upon his return from the surgery, Clevinger’s fastball velocity had dipped from 95.1 mph down to 93.6 mph. In addition to the lost velocity, the right-hander has seen a major dip in his production since returning to the mound, with a 4.40 ERA and 5.02 FIP in ten starts since the beginning of the 2022 campaign. Clevinger, who is in Chicago on a one-year, $12MM deal this season, is far from the only White Sox starter struggling so far in 2023, as each of Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech, and Lance Lynn have ERAs above 4.50 this season.
While Clevinger looks to fight off his current ailment and get things back on track, the White Sox could potentially turn to Jesse Scholtens in the rotation, as the right-hander is the only other healthy starter on the 40-man roster. Scholtens, who made his MLB debut earlier this season, has a 3.00 ERA in three innings of work for the White Sox this season and a 3.99 ERA in 38 1/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level. Other possible option include Daniel Ponce de Leon and Luke Farrell, though both would require a 40-man roster spot.
The Opener: Kimbrel, Buxton, White Sox, Guardians
With the 2023 regular season now nearly 30% complete, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Kimbrel aims for 400:
Not even two weeks after Kenley Jansen made history as the seventh player to reach 400 career saves, veteran righty Craig Kimbrel is poised to do the same. Kimbrel was long among the most dominant relievers in baseball, with a 1.91 ERA and 1.96 FIP through the first nine seasons of his career between the Braves, Padres, and Red Sox. Since then, he’s struggled to reach those same heights, with a 3.96 ERA and 3.74 FIP since the start of the 2019 season. This year, Kimbrel has a 6.35 ERA and 4.70 FIP to go along with five saves in 17 innings of work at the back of the Phillies bullpen. Over his past five appearances, he’s pitched five innings, picked up two saves and allowed just one run with a 12-to-1 K/BB ratio.
2. Buxton to be evaluated:
Twins slugger Byron Buxton was out of the lineup yesterday after being removed from Saturday’s game with knee soreness, and it seems we’ll know more about his condition today. Manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com) that, while Buxton “probably could have stayed in and battled through” the soreness, the club will know more regarding Buxton’s potential return to the lineup today. The 29-year-old Buxton, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on that right knee last September, is slashing .235/.344/.484 with a 129 wRC+ as the club’s primary DH so far this season. Top propect Edouard Julien, who started at DH in Buxton’s place yesterday, would be among those to gain some extra at-bats if Buxton misses any time.
3. Roster moves ahead of White Sox/Guardians series:
Both teams are expected to make roster moves ahead of this evening’s game between the White Sox and the Guardians. Cleveland is expected to recall right-hander Hunter Gaddis to start tonight’s game, and a corresponding move will be necessary to clear space for Gaddis on the active roster. Gaddis has struggled through 19 2/3 innings across 5 appearances in the majors this season with a 6.86 ERA and a strikeout rate of just 14.6%.
Meanwhile, the White Sox have already placed today’s expected starter, right-hander Mike Clevinger, on the injured list with wrist inflammation. No corresponding move was announced, leaving the Sox with a roster spot to fill ahead of tonight’s game. Notably, most depth starter options who could fill in for Clevinger are not yet on the 40-man roster, with the exception of Jesse Scholtens, who has a 3.99 ERA in seven starts at the Triple-A level this season.
Dodgers To Select Bobby Miller
The Dodgers are poised to promote one of their top prospects for his major league debut, as Russell Dorsey of Stadium and Bally Sports reports that the club is selecting the contract of right-hander Bobby Miller. The club will need to clear room for Miller on both the 40-man and active rosters ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Braves, when Miller is poised to make his major league debut.
The 24-year-old Miller was the 29th overall pick in the 2020 draft, selected by the Dodgers in the first round out of the University of Louisville. In his first season of minor league action in 2021, Miller immediately impressed with a 2.40 ERA in 56 1/3 innings split between High-A and Double-A that included a dazzling 47 inning performance at the High-A level. During his time in High-A, Miller posted a microscopic 1.91 ERA with a 29.8% strikeout rate and a walk rate of just 5.9%.
That performance saw Miller become a consensus top 100 prospect headed into the 2022 season, where Miller saw mixed results in 112 1/3 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A. In 91 innings at the Double-A level last season, Miller posted a fantastic 30.5% strikeout rate and a solid 8.1% walk rate, though he struggled in terms of top-line results with a 4.45 ERA during that time. Upon his promotion to Triple-A, Miller largely improved as his strikeout rate ticked up to 32.9% and his walk rate fell to 7.1%, resulting in a 3.38 ERA in 21 1/3 innings. That being said, Miller allowed a whopping four home runs in that short time frame as a whopping 26.7% of his fly balls left the yard.
Miller’s uneven 2022 season did little to impact his prospect rankings, however, as he entered the 2023 as a consensus top 30 prospect in the sport. While his 2023 season has been off to a rocky start so far, with a 5.65 ERA and a strikeout rate of just 19.7% in 14 1/3 innings so far this season, the young right-hander is an incredibly talented prospect who has flashed a triple-digit fastball, making it easy to see why the Dodgers would be interested in getting their young hurler a look in the big leagues. It isn’t clear whether Miller’s first trip to the majors is expected to last beyond Tuesday night’s start, though with Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, Dustin May, Michael Grove, and Ryan Pepiot all on the injured list, it stands to reason that this won’t be Miller’s only opportunity to impact the big league club this season.