NEW YORK (AP) — Shelby Miller never developed into ace that the Arizona Diamondbacks envisioned following a blockbuster trade in December 2015.
Perhaps he can become the Diamondbacks’ closed almost a decade later.
Miller earned his first save for Arizona on Thursday, working a perfect ninth inning and closing out .
“It’s always good to get a win, however we can do it, however I contribute, whether we’re up one or 10,” Miller said. “I’ll pick up the ball whenever my name is called.”
Miller picked up the save hours after the Arizona bullpen was thrown into further disarray when Justin Martinez was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Martinez and A.J. Puk, who was shifted to the 60-day injured list Thursday while he recovers from a left elbow injury, combined for seven of the Diamondbacks’ first nine saves.
“It doesn’t mean he’s going to close every game,” manager Torey Lovullo said after Miller threw just eight pitches. “But he’s going to get some save opportunities for sure.”
Miller was one of the most promising young starters in baseball when the Diamondbacks acquired him from the Atlanta Braves on Dec. 9, 2015, for a package that included Dansby Swanson, the first overall pick in the 2015 draft.
But Miller, who had a 3.22 ERA for the Braves and St. Louis Cardinals in his first four big league seasons, went 3-12 with a 6.15 ERA in 20 starts in 2016 before undergoing Tommy John surgery after four starts in 2017 — Lovullo’s first year as manager.
“That makes the save a little bit better,” Miller said with a smile. “I couldn’t be more happy for him to get this W.
“The fact that we’re connected that way, it does mean a lot,” Lovullo said.
Miller played for three other teams and shifted to the bullpen by the time Swanson won the World Series with Atlanta in 2021. After pitching briefly for the San Francisco Giants in 2022 and recording a 1.71 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, Miller appeared in a career-high 51 games for the Detroit Tigers last season.
The 34-year-old right-hander signed a non-roster deal with Arizona in February and is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 13 appearances. The save Thursday was the fourth of Miller’s career.
“It’s a story of perseverance — for me, it’s a story about a guy that just is never giving up,” Lovullo said. “He’s bounced around over the course of his career through a bunch of organizations, but he has never given up. And we’re getting those benefits now.”
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