Mason Miller Admits Lack of Pitching Opportunities 'Not Easy' Amid Padres Skid

Earlier this season, San Diego Padres star closer Mason Miller was one of the bigger storylines across the league.

Not only were the Padres looking like they could be one of the biggest surpises of the season, but Miller was dominating on the mound and in Cy Young conversations.

Fast forward to the present time, though, and while Miller is still having an excellent season, the Padres have started to see the year fall apart.

San Diego has lost nine of its last 10 games, falling into third place in the National League West division. The Padres are also 4.5 games back in the crowded NL wild-card race, decreasing the likelihood of their postseason chances coming true.

But one major part of this skid has been the lack of playing time for Miller of late. Miller has only been able to pitch four times over the last two weeks, with the team not being in a position for manager Craig Stammen to play him.

The star closer opened up about the lack of playing time during the team's slump.

“It’s not easy, for sure,” Miller said. “Because you get out there and you feel like you’re trying to get your feet under you a little bit. [Saturday], obviously my command wasn’t sharp. But stuff is fine, body feels good. But obviously it’s hard to go out there and feel really confident in your execution. The bullpen is one thing, but in the game is obviously another thing.”

Overall, Miller owns an ERA of 0.98 over 35 appearances this season. The right-hander has also completed 22 of 22 save opportunities, proving to be a shutdown arm when he enters the game with a lead.

During the four appearances over the last two weeks, Miller's chances to play have been very spaced out. The closer went six days in between his first two outings before he was able to get into back-to-back games over the weekend against the Los Angeles Dodgers (one of them coming with the team losing).

Miller did give up a run on Saturday against Los Angeles with the Padres already losing, but responded with a shutdown ninth inning on Sunday to secure a save.

“I was just excited to get back in a game today after [Saturday],” Miller said. “Got the juices going [Saturday] a little bit. Not the outing I went into it hoping for. But I got another chance to compete. That’s all I’m looking for, is a chance to compete.”

Being a closer, Miller won't always have the opportunity to come into a game, but the Padres have also tried using him in different situations. Miller is easily the most effective pitcher that the team has on the roster, and while Stammen doesn't want to overwork him, he could help this team get back on track in close late-game situations.

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