Team USA closer Mason Miller may not be available to pitch in World Baseball Classic final
MIAMI — If the United States needs to shut the door on its first World Baseball Classic championship since 2017, Mason Miller may not be in the mix to close out a victory.
San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen said Monday he has been in touch with his team’s All-Star closer about his usage in the tournament, and that a decision will be made on his availability for Tuesday’s WBC finale depending on how he feels ahead of the game.
“Not ruled out, not decided,” Stammen said at the Padres’ spring training camp in Arizona. “How we do with every pitcher, we evaluate them after their outing, see how they feel and then calculate when their next outing’s going to be. So he’s in that same boat.”
Miller, who has thrown 35 pitches over 100 mph and recorded 10 strikeouts in four innings, said during USA’s workout at loanDepot Park on Monday that he wants to pitch, “but I’ve got to be smart about it, too.” Were Miller to pitch Tuesday, it’d be his third appearance in five days.
“I think they trust me,” he added. “So if I say I’m good to go, they’re going to be supportive of that.”
Stammen acknowledged that taking that decision out of USA manager Mark DeRosa’s hands could cause blowback, but he also noted that player management is difficult for all teams in the WBC.
“They’re managing that team right now, but they’re not the manager of the player overall in Major League Baseball,” Stammen said. “Definitely a tough position for him and Andy (Pettitte) managing the pitching staff. They’ve done a great job so far. They’ve been very communicative with us and understanding of our situation with Mason and, I’m sure, with the rest of the pitchers.”
Miller has secured saves in two of the United States’ victories, including Sunday night, when his last pitch to the Dominican Republic’s Geraldo Perdomo was a called third strike to end the game.
Garrett Whitlock, who pitched a perfect eighth inning before Miller took the ball in the ninth, also has a save in the WBC.
— Ken Rosenthal contributed to this report.
