Baltimore Orioles’ Wade Miley set to return following simulation game
Baltimore Orioles southpaw Wade Miley is set to return from the 10-day on Sunday against the New York Yankees.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Wade Miley says he’s ready to come back after throwing 87 pitches in a simulation game at the team’s Double-A affiliate Bowie Baysox’s Prince George’s Stadium according to Peter Schmuck from The Baltimore Sun.
If you ever wondered what a simulated game looks like, here you go. #orioles pic.twitter.com/6xY0RdNuNc
— Peter Schmuck (@SchmuckStop) April 4, 2017
Miley, who battled a bad case of the flu bug during spring training, was placed on the 10-day disabled list on March 30. However, with the MLB schedule makers presenting the Orioles with two off days within the first four days of the regular season, Miley won’t miss a start.
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Miley’s unique simulation game Tuesday was not to work his way back from an injury, but to demonstrate that he has restored his conditioning after an extended period of inactivity. Miley expressed his thoughts to Schmuck after Tuesday’s sim game:
"The sickness and missing two weeks in spring, I probably could have gone ahead and been ready for the year, but I think just to be safe and not getting (the team) into a bind. My biggest thing is the bullpen. I don’t want to go out there with an 85-pitch count and blow through 85 pitches in four innings and the bullpen’s got to cover the next five and right out of the gate they’re down."
According to MASN’s Roch Kubatko, Miley is set to make his season debut on Sunday in the series finale against AL East rivals New York Yankees.
#orioles #yankees starters: Fri: Jimenez vs Severino. Sat: Gausman vs. Tanaka. Sun: TBD (expected to be Miley) vs Sabathia
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) April 3, 2017
Miley will join the Orioles starting rotation as the team’s fourth starter behind Opening Day starter Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy and Ubaldo Jimenez. Like last season, Miley is the lone southpaw in the Orioles unpredictable rotation. At the moment, the Orioles are sticking with a four-man rotation as they await the return of pitcher Chris Tillman.
The Louisiana pitcher was traded to the Orioles just one day before the 2016 MLB trade deadline in exchange for left-handed pitcher Ariel Miranda, who excelled during the second half of last season with the Seattle Mariners. In 10 starts with the Mariners, Mirando went 5-2 with a 3.54 ERA, along with 40 strikeouts.
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On the other hand, Miley made 11 starts for the Baltimore Orioles last season, going 2-5 with a lofty 6.17 ERA. Miley’s best season came in his first complete major league season in 2012 with the Arizona Diamondbacks where he won 16 games with a career-best 3.33 ERA, earning himself his first All-Star selection and finished second in the voting for National League Rookie of the Year Award.