X

Andrew Miller Exits vs. Cubs After Suffering Leg Injury

Adam Wells@adamwells1985X.com LogoFeatured ColumnistApril 26, 2018

Cleveland Indians closer Andrew Miller, on the disabled list recovering from knee tendinitis, throws from the mound during a workout before a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Steve Nesius/Associated Press

Cleveland Indians reliever Andrew Miller is out after suffering an injury to his leg during Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs.

According to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, the southpaw exited after throwing two pitches in the seventh inning. He grabbed the back of his left leg before leaving the contest.

Miller battled knee problems last August that led to two stints on the 10-day disabled list. He showed no lingering effects after returning in mid-September, throwing eight scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts to end the regular season. 

The Indians' bullpen has undergone significant changes since the end of last season. Bryan Shaw, Joe Smith and Boone Logan all left as free agents, taking a lot of the depth from a group that had tremendous success in 2017. 

Cleveland's relievers led MLB with a 2.89 ERA last season. Miller is a critical piece of the puzzle for manager Terry Francona. The southpaw has posted a 1.33 ERA with 158 strikeouts in 101.2 innings since being acquired from the New York Yankees in July 2016. 

With Miller on the shelf, look for the Indians to use a combination of Tyler Olsen, Dan Otero and Nick Goody in high-leverage and late-inning situations to get to closer Cody Allen.