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Arizona Diamondbacks: Shelby Miller to Get Third Opinion on Elbow
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Shelby Miller is gathering multiple opinions on his injured elbow. What's next for the embattled right-hander?
The Arizona Diamondbacks placed Shelby Miller on the 10-day disabled list on Monday with an apparent right elbow injury, but a few days later it seems the issue is only growing more worrisome. According to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com, Miller is going to visit with renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews to get a third opinion on his recent elbow MRI.
Miller had previously conferred with the D-Backs' team physician and Dr. Neal ElAttrache. While specific details have been scarce, the fact that Miller will have met with two of the brand names in elbow injuries isn't exactly comforting.
Per Gilbert, Miller was asked if he had been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his elbow, the injury that usually leads to Tommy John surgery. The 26-year-old hurler was coy in his response:
"They see something in there," he said. "They haven't given me specifics yet, exactly what it is or how we're going to handle it or what we're going to do to fix it. We're just going to wait and see everyone's opinion."
Miller did acknowledge, however, that Dr. ElAttrache the D-Backs physician provided him similar evaluations of the elbow.
So Miller, the D-Backs and their fans will wait to see what the problem and recommended course of action is for the young right-hander. While it's easy to jump straight to TJS, Red Sox lefty David Price found himself in a similarly ambiguous situation during spring training and did not end up needing the surgery.
D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo is keeping a calm outlook amid the uncertainty. According to the Arizona Republic's Bob McManaman, the first-year skipper told reporters that the club planned to get opinions about Miller from multiple experts. The goal, Lovullo said, is to get as much information as possible to make an informed decision.
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The injury comes at an especially frustrating time for Miller, who had shown signs of bouncing back from last year's nightmare season. Through four starts in 2017, he owns a 4.09 ERA (3.38 FIP), 1.46 WHIP and 1.67 K/BB ratio over 22 innings. His best outing of the season thus far came on April 18, when he held the Padres to just one run on four hits in 7.1 frames. Miller never pitched into the eighth inning of any start last year.
Miller endured heavy criticism during 2016 for his disappointing performance in his first campaign in Arizona. It didn't help that the D-Backs parted with a package headlined by top prospect Dansby Swanson to acquire him from the Braves. Miller managed a ghastly 6.15 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in 20 outings, eventually leading to a minor league demotion at one point.
If Miller is forced to miss significant time, it will just further compound the second-guessing of the trade, at a time when the pitcher was starting to turn things around. Fortunately for the Diamondbacks, the team as a whole has been a major surprise in the fledgling season. Arizona sports a 14-9 record, placing them a half-game behind the equally surprising Rockies.
Archie Bradley could get another crack at a rotation spot should Miller be shelved for an extended period. The 24-year-old righty has been dynamite in the bullpen, boasting a 1.26 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 10.7 K/9 in 14.1 innings. He's been so good the D-Backs might think twice before taking him out of there, but he should definitely receive consideration.
