Team USA may not have its closer available for Tuesday’s World Baseball Classic championship final.
Mason Miller closed out Team USA’s semifinal win over the Dominican Republic on Sunday, striking out Geraldo Perdomo on a questionable called third strike. But the San Diego Padres closer threw 22 pitches in the outing. And if he pitches on Tuesday, Miller will have taken the mound three times in five days.
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However, if Miller can pitch, manager Mark DeRosa may need him because the U.S. bullpen could also be without reliever David Bednar due to pitch count considerations, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. Bednar threw 18 pitches in Sunday’s win.
Miller and Bednar’s usage have not exceeded the rules set in place for World Baseball Classic pitch counts. Plus, both relievers will have had one day of rest. So their availabiility comes down to personal preference and the wishes of the Padres and the New York Yankees.
Padres manager Craig Stammen told reporters on Monday that he’s spoken with Miller about his usage during the WBC and his availability for Tuesday’s final will depend on how he feels before the game. Miller says he wants to pitch, “but I’ve got to be smart about it, too,” via The Athletic.
Another consideration with Miller is that his pitches are more strenuous. He’s thrown 35 pitches clocked at over 100 mph while notching 10 strikeouts in his four innings.
Stammen doesn’t like the idea of preventing DeRosa from using one of his best pitchers, but each of the MLB teams that has players in the WBC has to consider what’s best for their pitchers while preparing for the long regular season.
“They’re managing that team right now, but they’re not the manager of the player overall in Major League Baseball,” Stammen told reporters.
“Definitely a tough position for him and Andy [Pettitte] managing the pitching staff,” he added. “They’ve been very communicative with us and understanding of our situation with Mason and, I’m sure, with the rest of the pitchers.”
Garrett Whitlock, who threw 16 pitches in Sunday’s win, is apparently available for Sunday’s win. Team USA also added relievers Jeff Hoffman, who replaced Clayton Kershaw on the roster, and Will Vest, taking Tarik Skubal’s place before the WBC semifinals.
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