San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller recorded the final three outs for Team USA in a World Baseball Classic semifinal thriller on Sunday night.
Will he be an option if U.S. manager Mark DeRosa needs a save on Tuesday night in the WBC final? Stay tuned.
“Not ruled out, not decided,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said Monday from spring training 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.”
There will be a need for bullpen arms.
Mets right-hander Nolan McLean will start for Team USA. He was late to join the WBC team because of vertigo symptoms but said he is fully healthy entering the game. The 24-year-old is expected to have a pitch count of near 60 or 65.
Miller threw 22 pitches and struck out Geraldo Perdomo to end Team USA’s semifinal win over the Dominican Republic on Sunday. If he gets the call on Tuesday, it would be his third appearance in five days.
“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 (DeRosa and USA pitching coach 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.”
DeRosa might be thinned further if Yankees reliever David Bednar is scratched for similar pitch-count considerations. Bednar threw 18 pitches on Sunday and has thrown 79 in four appearances. Miller stands at 73 through four outings.
