Miller won't return to rotation: 'That ship has kind of sailed'
Andrew Miller has made the bullpen his home, and he isn't interested in moving.
The Cleveland Indians left-hander was groomed as a starter to begin his MLB career before transitioning into a full-time bullpen role during the 2012 season when he was with the Boston Red Sox. Though he's since blossomed into one of the game's best relievers, he isn't expecting to return to a starting role any time soon.
"I don't think so. I think that ship has kind of sailed," Miller told reporters Saturday, courtesy of ASAP Sports. "I had my chance. There's times where I'm out there and I'm locating pretty well, and I feel like I can kind of command all over the place, and I move the ball around and make it do what I want.
"I think about how nice it would be to throw 100 pitches and have the schedule (starters) have. But ultimately I've kind of found what fits for me."
As he's done for the last five seasons, Miller was again impressive out of the bullpen Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays, allowing only one hit in 1 2/3 innings while striking out five to help Cleveland take a 1-0 lead in the ALCS.
And when you compare Miller's career splits as a starter and a reliever, it isn't hard to see why he prefers to stay put in the 'pen:
| Role | ERA | WHIP | SO | HR | IP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 5.70 | 1.73 | 255 | 33 | 325 |
| Reliever | 2.61 | 1.02 | 458 | 25 | 303 2/3 |
The added expectation of seeing game action every day as opposed to sitting out four-to-five days for rest also helps.
"The bullpen is a lot of fun. I like coming to the ballpark every day and knowing I have a chance to pitch," Miller said. "And it's worked out really well for me, so I don't see a reason to look for anything else."