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Bryce Miller returned to the Mariners' rotation against the Houston Astros

Bryce Miller made his return to the Seattle Mariners‘ rotation on Wednesday, in his season debut. The 27-year-old starting pitcher looked solid in his debut, a good sign for the Mariners.

After making 31 starts in 2024 and finishing with a 2.94 ERA in 180.1 innings, Miller struggled to stay on the field in 2025. He was limited to 18 starts, and his ERA ballooned to 5.68. However, his three strong playoff starts (14 innings, 2.51 ERA, 1-0 record) gave him something to build on into the offseason.

The injury bug bit Miller again in spring training of 2026, as a left oblique strain sidelined him for the month of April. Miller’s return to the rotation came after a rehab stint that saw him make two starts for High-A Everett and two starts for Triple-A Tacoma. Across four rehab starts, he allowed three earned runs over 13.2 innings of work.

Miller was officially reinstated to the Mariners on the morning of May 13th, as the team designated left-handed reliever Jose Suarez for assignment.

Miller’s First Start Showed the Mariners Why He’s Still A Key Member of the Rotation

After missing about half of 2025, and the first six weeks of 2026, Miller reminded the Mariners why he is still an important member of their starting rotation.

Miller worked through the bottom of the first, allowing just one baserunner, a Yordan Alvarez single. In the second, Zach Dezenzo caught him for a leadoff double, but Miller shut down the bottom of the Astros lineup, stranding the runner on at second base.

Miller put together a 1-2-3 bottom of the third, then again allowed the leadoff man to reach base in the fourth. With Isaac Paredes on at first base and one out, Miller earned his first strikeout of the season, as Dezenzo was called out on strikes. He followed that up by ending the inning with his second strikeout, against Braden Shewmake.

Things got dicey for Miller in the fifth. Brice Matthews led off the inning with a single, and Zach Cole followed him with a single of his own. After a sacrifice bunt from Christian Walker moved the runners to second and third, Miller notched a huge second out, striking out Altuve. With first base open, the Mariners put Alvarez on board to force an out at every base, but it did not matter, as Miller got Paredes to pop out, ending the inning and stranding the bases loaded.

In the sixth, the Astros did get to Miller. Walker led the inning off with a solo home run, and with one out, Miller allowed a pair of singles to Shewmake and Matthews. After Miller was removed in favor of Cooper Criswell, Shewmake scored on a bases-loaded two-out walk, leaving Miller with two earned runs in five and one-third of an inning.

Miller gave Seattle five scoreless innings to start the game in his return to the big league mound, and while he did run into trouble in the fifth and sixth, he was sharp for most of the game. He put his team in a position to win, and while the Mariners would go on to lose the game 4-3 in extra innings, it’s hardly fair to blame Miller for that outcome.

What Could The Mariners Rotation Look Like?

In April, Miller’s rotation spot was given to Emerson Hancock, who has been the Mariners’ swing-starter for the past two years, jumping between Triple-A and the big leagues whenever he is needed to fill in for injured starters.

The difference between 2026 and the past two years is that Hancock has been good enough to make a case for a more permanent spot in the rotation. Going into 2026, Hancock had a career 4.81 ERA in 31 starts, with an 8-9 record. In 2026, he has a 3.21 ERA across eight starts.

Hancock’s emergence gives the Mariners a dilemna. They could move Hancock into a long relief role, or could move struggling veteran Luis Castillo into the bullpen. Or, the team could go with a six-man rotation to give all of their starters more rest, and avoid injuries.