MILWAUKEE (AP) — Shelby Miller says he's facing the possibility of a second Tommy John surgery as the Milwaukee Brewers placed the veteran right-hander on the 60-day injured list with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow.
Miller spoke to reporters Wednesday and said he planned to speak with Dr. Keith Meister regarding his MRI results and to get feedback on the next steps. Miller acknowledged surgery seemed like a realistic option and spoke pragmatically about his baseball future.
“I’m definitely probably going to miss next year,” Miller said. “Be ready for 2027, see how my arm feels, see where I’m at in my life and go from there.”
Miller, who turns 35 next month, previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017.
Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said after Monday’s 10-8 loss to Philadelphia that Miller “felt something pop in his elbow” while pitching in the eighth inning. Miller was immediately removed from the game.
“It just comes with the territory,” Miller said. “Baseball has a lot of wear and tear on the body. You play it a long time, as long as I have, there’s going to be injuries and setbacks and stuff like that. It’s tough.”
The NL Central-leading Brewer brought up right-hander Joel Payamps was brought up from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move.
Miller joins All-Star closer Trevor Megill (right flexor strain), left-hander DL Hall (right oblique) and right-hander Grant Anderson (right ankle) as Brewers relievers on the injured list.
“I just hurt for him,” Murphy said. “Here's a veteran who comes to a new team, earning the total respect of everybody, immediately got put in leverage, immediately did well most every time. With the number of injuries in our bullpen, it crushes us. But I'm more crushed for the guy."
Milwaukee owns the best record in the major leagues and entered Wednesday leading the division by five games over the Chicago Cubs.
Miller wanted to play a major role in the Brewers' playoff push as they seek their first World Series title in franchise history. He instead will ponder his long-term plans.
He was asked Wednesday if retirement's a possibility. Miller said he's confident he still has the ability to get hitters out and could get an opportunity after surgery, but he also acknowledged the difficulty of a comeback.
“A second TJ’s never easy,” MIller said. “It’s just going to be depending on how I feel, where I’m at in my life when that day comes. We’ll see.”
Miller is 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA in 11 appearances with the Brewers after he was acquired in a trade with Arizona at the deadline. He was 0-3 with a 1.98 ERA in 37 games with the Diamondbacks.
Payamps, 31, played a key role in Milwaukee's bullpen from 2023-24. He is 0-1 with an 8.35 ERA in 23 appearances with the Brewers this season.
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