Pitcher Shelby Miller is set to play his first MLB game in more than 14 months when his Arizona Diamondbacks face Miami Marlins on Monday. Miller hasn’t played for Diamondbacks since April 29, 2017, when he underwent a Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery. As part of his rehab process, the 27-year-old recently played four games in the minors.
Talking with reporters on Thursday, Shelby Miller said he is pretty excited about his return to majors but knows he will need some time to find his footing.
“I’m pretty excited, but I’m assuming the first (start) back won’t be perfect,” – said Miller. “There are going to be times where I’m going to have to bear down and get through some stuff. I’ve talked to people (who have had the surgery) and they say command is the last thing to come back.“
Shelby Miller’s return will surely be welcomed since Arizona Diamondbacks currently need all the help they can get in order to retain their top spot in NL West. Since joining Diamondbacks in 2016, Miller played in 24 games and has a 5-14 record and 5.78 ERA.
Miller made his MLB debut in 2012 for St. Louis Cardinals, spending three years there before being traded to Atlanta Braves in 2015. In this lone season with the Braves, Miller arguably played the best baseball of his career, earning an All-Star game selection. Following the end of 2015 season, he was traded to Diamondbacks.
