Miller fights command but declares self ready for bounce-back season
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Shelby Miller already put last season behind him. Not everyone else can do so, at least not until a new Diamondbacks season begins.
With that in mind, Miller on Monday made his final Cactus League start, declared himself ready for the regular season and said he is in a better position to succeed.
"I think my stuff now is better than my best stuff last year," Miller said after fighting his fastball command and throwing 94 pitches in 4 1/3 innings in an eventual 4-2 loss to the Angels at Salt River Fields.
"The biggest thing for me is going out and using my pitches wisely. I definitely ready for the season, ready to go. I'm over spring training; I'm ready for these games to count."
"I think my stuff now is better than my best stuff last year." -- Shelby Miller on his last Cactus League outing. pic.twitter.com/0QKWAht4za
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) March 27, 2017
Coming off a dreadful first season with the D-backs in 2016 -- in which his ERA was more than double that of his career average -- a noticeably leaner Miller fared well overall this spring outside of one rough outing 10 days ago.
Even as he was unhappy with his fastball command and pitch efficiency -- he was trying to overpower hitters instead of focusing on location -- against the Angles, he held them to one run while he was in the game and had another tacked on after he left.
"I thought Shelby actually did a pretty good job considering he was a little erratic with his fastball," manager Torey Lovullo said. "His secondary stuff showed some effectiveness throughout the outing."
Miller will pitch once more before his first regular-season start. That likely will come Saturday against minor leaguers.
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As for where Miller fits into the D-backs rotation, Lovullo said he will announce the order of the pitchers to follow Zack Greike on Thursday.
"I'm not looking to give any competitive advantages, OK? ... I met Bill Belichick yesterday."
Belichick was at the team's complex as a guest of Chief Baseball Analyst Tony La Russa.
