ATLANTA — With injuries to relievers piling up, the Cubs made a trade late Monday night to address the bullpen.
They acquired right-hander Tyson Miller from the Mariners for minor-league infielder Jake Slaughter. The teams officially announced the trade Tuesday morning. Miller pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth inning Tuesday in the 7-0 loss to the Braves. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Cubs designated left-handed reliever Richard Lovelady for assignment.
“Family members kept sending me tweets and stuff online of what teams wanted me and whatnot,” Miller said. “And they were like, ‘Hey, what if the Cubs get you?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, that’d be pretty funny.’ And then got the call, and it was [the] Cubs. A little reunion. So it was nice.”
Miller, who debuted with the Cubs in 2020 after being drafted by the club in 2016, returns to the organization after posting a 3.09 ERA in nine major-league games with the Mariners this season. He was designated for assignment Friday as right-hander Bryan Woo returned from the injured list.
“It was a little surprising,” Miller said. “They said I did everything I needed to do. So just guys coming off injuries and stuff like that happens.”
The trade comes on the heels of right-hander Adbert Alzolay landing on the 15-day injured list (strained right flexor tendon). Including Alzolay, the Cubs have five relievers on the IL.
“With the consolidated pitch mix and the ability to be pretty good at platoon situations, it felt like he was a guy we wanted to try to acquire,” general manager Carter Hawkins said of Miller.
In addition to knowing pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and several other players from his first stint with the Cubs, Miller played for manager Craig Counsell with the Brewers in the first half of last season. He also pitched for the Dodgers (two games) and Mets (one game) last year.
“He’s pitching a little differently this year,” Counsell said. “And that’s just kind of the natural evolution of a guy trying to just get himself better.”
Last year, Miller was using a five-pitch mix, but this season with the Mariners, he mostly relied on his four-seam fastball (60.4%) and slider (37.7%).
“They showed me a grip this year in spring training that was more consistent with my arm slot,” he said. “And then once we got that a little more up rise with it, instead of just straight drop, it was much more effective.”
Happ day off
Left fielder Ian Happ was out of the lineup after serving as the designated hitter in the 2-0 loss Monday.
“Nothing health-related,” Counsell said. “Just giving him a day off.”
Happ’s bat cooled off after a hot first week of the season. He entered Tuesday with a .302 slugging percentage, and his expected stat in that category (.309) was not much better, ranked in the bottom 7% in the majors, according to Statcast.
“He’s not on it right now,” Counsell said. “He’s a little caught in between. This is what happens when players struggle a little bit, and it’s nothing that can’t turn around really quickly, and I really think it will. So sometimes you try to take a day away from competition to do that.”
Hoerner scratched
Shortstop Nico Hoerner was scratched from the lineup before the game with tightness in his left hamstring. With shortstop Dansby Swanson already on the IL with a sprained right knee, Miles Mastrobuoni took Hoerner’s place in the field.
