Miller pitched a perfect inning to earn the save in a 5-4 win over the Astros on Wednesday.
Miller retired the side on nine pitches (seven strikes) to earn his first save since Aug. 28. He's seen little usage in September, pitching four times while allowing five runs (three earned) over 5.2 innings in that span. He's had a couple of bumps in the road this year but has maintained a 2.34 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 91:19 K:BB over 57.2 innings while converting 24 of 26 save chances.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Escapes with 22nd save
Rotowire
Miller earned the save in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Reds, allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts in the ninth inning.
Miller allowed two runs on a season-high four hits before striking out Amed Rosario with two runners in scoring position to end the game. Consider it an off night, as the 26-year-old entered Tuesday's appearance having fired 12.1 consecutive scoreless frames and has now converted 10 straight save chances. On the season, he owns a 2.12 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 122:33 K:BB across 51 innings.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Collects 21st save
Rotowire
Miller struck out one while tossing 1.1 perfect innings to pick up the save Sunday against the Brewers.
Miller collected four outs to pick up his fourth multi-inning save of the season. Miller has not been scored upon in 17 of his last 18 outings since June 14, tossing 20 innings with a 0.90 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 27 strikeouts and nine saves over that stretch.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Hits 20-save mark
Rotowire
Miller picked up the save Thursday against Tampa Bay, allowing one hit with two strikeouts across a scoreless ninth inning.
The uber-talented 25-year-old became the 17th closer to reach 20 saves and extended his scoreless inning streak to 11 frames. Miller has appeared in 41 games this season, tallying a 1.85 ERA and an 81:17 K:BB across 48.2 innings.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Notches 19th save
Rotowire
Miller earned a save over the Rays on Monday, issuing one walk and striking out one batter in one scoreless inning.
Miller had a three-run lead to work with in the ninth frame and protected it with relative ease, allowing just one baserunner on a two-out walk. The right-hander has converted each of his past seven save chances, registering a 23:5 K:BB and allowing only two runs over 16 innings during that span. Miller has blossomed in his first campaign as a closer, going 19-for-21 in save opportunities overall and posting a 1.89 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 79:17 K:BB across 47.2 frames.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Notches 16th save in return
Rotowire
Miller pitched a perfect ninth inning to record his 16th save of the season Wednesday against the White Sox. He did not record a strikeout.
Activated off the injured list Wednesday morning, Miller needed just 13 pitches to notch his first save since July 10. With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, Miller should have little competition for saves the rest of the way. The 25-year-old is in the midst of a breakout season, posting a robust 2.16 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 70:14 K:BB across 41.2 innings while going 16-for-18 in save opportunities.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Faces hitters
Rotowire
Miller (finger) threw a live bullpen session Monday, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Miller is dealing with a fractured finger on his non-throwing hand and continued to throw bullpen sessions while he had a cast on. He played catch for the first time without the cast Saturday and has already advanced to facing batters. The standout 25-year-old becomes eligible to return Friday, though it's unclear if he'll need to miss additional time.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Fractures non-throwing hand
Rotowire
The Athletics placed Miller on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a fractured pinkie on his left hand, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Gallegos says Miller suffered the injury when he placed his hand down awkwardly on the training table while getting ready to do an exercise. It's not clear how long Miller might be sidelined, but it helps that the fracture is to his non-throwing hand. The injury could also lessen, if not eliminate, the possibility of Miller being dealt at the trade deadline. Lucas Erceg is the favorite to see save opportunities for the Athletics while Miller is out.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Notches 15th save
Rotowire
Miller gave up a hit and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday to record his 15th save of the season in a 5-2 win over the Red Sox.
The flame-throwing righty bounced back from a shaky appearance in a non-save situation his last time out. Miller hasn't been quite as dominant of late as he was to begin the season, but he's still been very effective -- since the beginning of June he's posted a 2.84 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 17:4 K:BB through 12.2 innings while converting four of five save chances.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Struggles in non-save scenario
Rotowire
Miller allowed two earned runs on two hits and a walk over one inning in a 7-5 win over the Angels on Tuesday. He struck out two.
Miller had last seen action Friday, so manager Mark Kotsay opted to give his closer some work in what started as a low-leverage scenario. The fireballing right-hander inherited a 7-3 advantage going into the ninth inning and proceeded to retire two of the first three hitters he faced, but he subsequently allowed an RBI double and single to Nolan Schanuel and Luis Rengifo, respectively, to tighten matters up. Miller bore down and retired Taylor Ward on four pitches to put an end to the threat and the game, but not before allowing multiple earned runs for the first time since May 23. Despite the stumble, Miller has contributed a win and 14 saves to fantasy managers this season, accomplishing those marks with the help of a stellar 15.8 K/9.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Charged with blown save
Rotowire
Miller struck out one batter and walked one over 1.2 innings Friday against Minnesota. He was charged with a blown save during the loss.
Miller entered the game in the eighth inning with the bases jammed and immediately walked in the game-tying run. He then retired five straight batters before the Twins went on to win in the 10th. Miller's ERA dropped to 2.27, as he was not charged with a run, but he's now blown two of his last three save chances dating back to May 30.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Hit with first loss
Rotowire
Miller (1-1) took the loss Wednesday, giving up a solo home run in one-third of an inning as the A's fell 5-4 to the Padres.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Jackson Merrill drove the first pitch he saw from Miller down the right-field line for a walk-off homer. The Oakland closer may be wearing down -- over his last eight appearances he's served up three long balls and been scored upon four times, leading to a 5.59 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 14:6 K:BB through 9.2 innings during that stretch.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Tagged with first blown save
Rotowire
Miller was charged with a blown save in Thursday's 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay in 12 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit and three walks over two innings. He struck out four.
Jose Siri's game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth was the first given up by Miller this year while also resulting in his first blown save in 12 chances. Despite Thursday's hiccup, it's been an excellent start to the season for the 26-year-old Miller -- his ERA now sits at 2.08 with a 0.88 WHIP and 51 strikeouts, the most among qualified relief pitchers, through 26 innings.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Locks down 11th save
Rotowire
Miller gave up a hit and a walk while striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday to record his 11th save of the season in a 3-0 win over the Rays.
The flamethrowing righty continues to dominate. Miller has yet to blow a save in 2024, and his 52.8 percent strikeout rate is the highest in the majors among pitchers who have worked at least 20 innings. Trade rumors are swirling around him, not surprising given the state of the Oakland franchise, but Miller would likely be the best closing option for any team that acquired him. Through 24 innings this season, he sports a 1.88 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 47:7 K:BB.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Rings up ninth save
Rotowire
Miller recorded his ninth save in Tuesday's win over the Rockies, striking out the side in a perfect ninth inning.
Miller mowed through the trio of Jordan Beck, Charlie Blackmon and Ezequiel Tovar on 16 pitches, retiring each on swinging strikes to close out the one-run win. It was Miller's first save opportunity since April 30, as well as his 15th straight scoreless appearance. The flamethrowing right-hander hasn't allowed so much as a single since April 25 as well, and his trio of strikeouts Tuesday pushed his K/9 and swinging strikeout rate figures to an astounding 18.1 and 23.7 percent, respectively, across 20.1 innings.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Lights out for eighth save
Rotowire
Miller picked up the save Tuesday against Oakland, striking out three during a perfect ninth inning.
Miller capped off April with yet another dominant display, punching out all three batters he faced. He appeared in 11 games during the month, allowing four hits and three walks with 30 strikeouts over 12.1 scoreless innings. He's also converted all eight of his save chances in 2024, giving him the sixth-most saves in MLB.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Dominant again in seventh save
Rotowire
Miller earned the save in Friday's 3-2 win over the Orioles, striking out two in a perfect inning.
Miller delivered another lights-out performance Friday, stranding the free runner at second base in the 10th inning to seal a one-run Oakland victory. After allowing a pair of runs in his first appearance this year, Miller's held opponents scoreless in his subsequent 11.1 innings while giving up just one hit and one walk in his last seven appearances. The 25-year-old right-hander is up to seven saves on the year with a 1.46 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and an outstanding 18.24 K/9.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Locks down first career save
Rotowire
Miller tossed a perfect ninth inning Tuesday in a 4-3 win over the Rangers to earn his first career save. He struck out two.
Miller entered protecting a 4-3 lead after Shea Langeliers put the A's in front with a go-ahead homer in the top of the frame. Miller was in nearly untouchable, getting a routine groundout before striking out back-to-back hitters to end the game. Miller has the lights-out stuff to become one of the best closers in baseball if he sticks in the role. He touched triple digits eight times out of his 16 pitches in Tuesday's appearance and has now fired five straight scoreless innings with a 9:2 K:BB.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Falters in non-save situation
Rotowire
Miller worked the ninth inning of Saturday's 12-3 loss to the Guardians, allowing two earned runs on three hits and a walk over one inning. He struck out one.
The Athletics' closer didn't come close to sniffing a save situation in the first two games, so manager Mark Kotsay opted to give him some work in the blowout defeat. Making his first appearance since an exhibition against the Giants on Monday, Miller got only 19 of his 30 pitches into the strike zone, but his status as the top ninth-inning option remains unchanged for the time being.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Mason Miller: Making strong case this spring
Rotowire
Miller is increasingly making a case to serve as the Athletics' closer with his Cactus League performances, despite manager Mark Kotsay previously stating he wasn't likely to use only one pitcher in that role to start the season, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Miller has put together two perfect innings across his pair of appearances, recording five strikeouts along the way while getting his elite fastball up as high as 103 mph. Miller is also using his wipeout slider effectively, and Gallegos surmises Kotsay may have no choice but to eventually name Miller as his primary ninth-inning option if the rest of the flamethrower's spring unfolds in similar fashion.
