Mariners place rookie pitcher on injured list

The Mariners placed rookie starter Bryce Miller on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to July 1, on account of a blister. Darren McCaughan and Matt Festa were recalled from Triple-A, with the latter taking the bullpen spot vacated by Monday’s Trevor Gott trade.

Miller only made it into the fourth inning of last Friday’s start against the Rays. The blister’s emergence coincided with a Randy Arozarena homer that led to Miller’s removal. It’s a setback in what has otherwise been a quality debut season. The 24-year-old righty had allowed three or fewer runs in eight of his first 10 MLB starts, working at least six innings in seven of those outings.

A former fourth-round pick, Miller has developed into a top pitching prospect in pro ball. He had a breakout 2022 campaign in the minors and picked up where he left off this year. Over 59 big league innings, he carries a 3.97 ERA with a solid 23.8% strikeout rate and an excellent 5.2% walk percentage. He has established himself as part of a high-quality rotation also including Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert and fellow rookie Bryan Woo.

The M’s don’t have an off day this week, so they’ll need a spot starter or bullpen game to take them into the All-Star Break. It’s unclear whether Seattle anticipates Miller returning when first eligible coming out of the layoff.