Mariners Temporarily Move Bryce Miller to the Bullpen Amid Struggles
The Seattle Mariners have decided to temporarily move right-handed pitcher Bryce Miller from their starting rotation to the bullpen as the club attempts to help him regain his form.
Seattle manager Dan Wilson described the move as a “short-term” adjustment, although the team has not yet confirmed whether Miller will return to the rotation before the end of the 2026 season. The decision comes after a difficult stretch for the 28-year-old starter, who has struggled significantly during August.
Miller had established himself as an important part of Seattle’s rotation after an impressive 2024 campaign. That season, he posted a 2.94 ERA across 180 1/3 innings, raising expectations for what he could accomplish as a major league starter.
His progress was interrupted in 2025 when he dealt with elbow problems. Miller was limited to 90 1/3 innings and finished the season with a 5.68 ERA. His strikeout and walk rates also moved in the wrong direction. He did, however, show flashes of his previous ability during the postseason, giving up only four earned runs over 14 1/3 innings in three playoff appearances.
The Mariners entered the 2026 campaign with high expectations after coming within one victory of reaching their first pennant in 2025. Instead, Seattle has endured a frustrating season and currently owns a 64-71 record.
Miller initially looked like one of the team’s bright spots this year. After missing roughly the first six weeks of the season because of an oblique injury, he returned in mid-May and delivered strong performances through the end of July.
Heading into August, Miller had a 2.80 ERA over 74 innings while producing strong strikeout and walk numbers. He had struck out 26.1% of opposing hitters while walking just 4.6%, suggesting that he had regained much of the effectiveness that made him one of Seattle’s promising starters.
Unfortunately for the Mariners, his performance deteriorated dramatically in August. Miller surrendered between four and six earned runs in each of his four starts during the month. His worst outing came against the Chicago Cubs, when he allowed six earned runs in only 4 1/3 innings during a 19-2 loss.
Control has also become a problem. Miller issued seven walks against Chicago, taking his total to 12 walks over 20 innings in August. That contributed to an ugly 9.00 ERA for the month.
Despite the recent struggles, Miller still owns a respectable 4.12 ERA across 94 innings this season, and Seattle general manager Justin Hollander remains confident that the pitcher can return to his previous level.
Hollander explained that moving Miller to relief will allow the organization to simplify his workload and have him focus on throwing one or two innings at a time.
For Miller, the decision is understandably disappointing after spending his entire major league career as a starter. However, he remains focused on helping the Mariners whenever his number is called. He also has some previous bullpen experience, having worked in relief during his college days at Texas A&M.
The Mariners’ rotation could also face another issue involving Emerson Hancock, who experienced a left groin problem after Friday’s loss to Toronto. Seattle will evaluate Hancock before determining whether he needs time away.
If Hancock remains available, Seattle is expected to continue with Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby, Kade Anderson and Hancock in the rotation.
With the Mariners sitting four games behind in both the AL West and Wild Card races, the clock is quickly becoming a factor. Seattle will need Miller and the rest of its pitching staff to find consistency if the club hopes to make a late push toward the postseason.
Leave a Reply