The Cleveland Indians' once-dominant bullpen is but a shell of its former self and a lot of that has to do with the absence of Andrew Miller, who won't be back to help until after the All-Star break.
Although Miller has made some progress from a right knee injury, the Indians won't activate him from the disabled list until later this month, according to The Associated Press.
The 33-year-old Miller hasn't pitched in a big-league game since May 25 because of inflammation in his knee, but Indians pitching coach Carl Willis told manager Terry Francona that the southpaw looked good while throwing 31 pitches off the mound Thursday.
"Went well," Francona said Friday. "By Carl's account, you can really tell the difference that he's getting a little more sure of himself. The good news is that he really is making strides. My goodness, if we can get him back in time to get him on a roll, that's the biggest goal."
Miller owns a 1.87 ERA and has struck out 13.9 hitters per nine in 100 games with the Indians and was a big part of helping them get to the World Series in 2016.
Cleveland's bullpen, which used to be one of its biggest strengths, owns a 5.01 ERA in 230 innings this season, which is second worst in the AL.
