A key cog in Boston’s bullpen has gone down with a foot injury that will likely keep him from returning this season. Andrew Miller, who has been having a fine season with Boston in 2013, changed direction quickly and pushed off the mound Saturday against the Angels to cover home plate and simply went down in a heap. It didn’t look good and the today the worst was realized.
Jul 6, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Andrew Miller (30) is walked off the field after an injury during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
”It was when I tried to change momentum to go back up home,” Miller told the Associated Press after the game. ”I watched the ball go by me, and when I went to push off to back up home plate, that’s when I felt it.”
Miller has been a reliable, solid shutdown lefty that will prove hard to replace. Check out Conor Duffy’s BSI article on one pitching option that Boston may explore.
Before the injury, Miller had been enjoying a very good season. Gone was the wildness that marked his early years. In his second full season as a reliever, the 28-year old had a 2.64 ERA, struck out 48 batters versus just 17 walks and gave up nine earned runs in 30 2/3 innings.
With Miller out, Craig Breslow is currently the only left-handed reliever in Boston’s bullpen.