Miller (2-0, 1.33) drew the assignment opposite Zack Littell (6-4, 4.76), and on paper it's not particularly close. Miller's last time out he carved up the Tigers for 6 innings of 1-hit ball with 9 strikeouts on 94 pitches. Littell scuffled to a workable 5-inning, 1-run line in Arizona on the same day — fine, not scary.
The bigger story for Seattle is who isn't in the box. Cal Raleigh is still on the 10-day IL with the oblique, though he just started a rehab assignment at High-A Everett, which is the first real piece of good news the Mariners have had in a week. J.P. Crawford (hand) is waiting on CT scan results and Brendan Donovan is weeks away after a PRP injection in his groin. Throw in Matt Brash heading back to Seattle for more imaging on his lat, and the depth chart is held together with tape.
- Day-To-DayBrock Rodden 2B — no
- 10-Day-ILWill Wilson 3B — Wilson (thumb) has gone 3-for-9 with two RBI and a 1:2 BB:K in his first three rehab games between High-A Everett and Triple-A Tacoma.
- 10-Day-ILJ.P. Crawford SS — Crawford (hand) is still waiting for the results of a CT scan he underwent Tuesday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILCal Raleigh C — Raleigh (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Everett on Sunday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILBrendan Donovan 3B — Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said Sunday that Donovan will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection for his strained left groin as well as his adductor and is expected to resume baseball activity in 2-to-3 weeks, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILMatt Brash RP — Brash has returned to Seattle to have his right lat strain evaluated further, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILCooper Criswell RP — Criswell earned the save in Sunday's 8-0 win over the Guardians, allowing two hits while striking out five over three scoreless innings.
- 60-Day-ILLogan Evans SP — The Mariners placed Evans (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Monday.
- Day-To-DayTyler Stuart SP — no
- Day-To-DayTyler Baum DH — Baum has not pitched this year due an undisclosed injury.
- Day-To-DayTravis Sykora SP — Sykora will undergo a UCL reconstruction on his right elbow in two weeks, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
- Day-To-DayJarlin Susana RP — Susana underwent surgery last week to repair a right lat tear, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.
- 15-Day-ILJake Irvin SP — Nationals manager Blake Butera said Monday that Irvin (shoulder) remains shut down from throwing, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILDJ Herz SP — Herz struck out four batters over three scoreless innings in his second rehab start Thursday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.
- 60-Day-ILKen Waldichuk RP — Waldichuk (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure April 21 and is hopeful to return to game action at some point early in the 2027 season, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILTrevor Williams SP — Williams (elbow) threw a simulated game at Nationals Park ahead of Tuesday's loss to the Marlins, MLB.com reports.
Washington's situation isn't any prettier on the mound. Blake Butera is running a rotation without Jake Irvin (still shut down from throwing), Trevor Williams, DJ Herz, and Josiah Gray. Littell is essentially the de facto No. 1 by default, which explains why Federal Baseball spent the week openly asking what the team should do about him. The Nats have still scratched out a winning week, including a 2-of-3 split with the Giants, but they're playing every game with a thin margin.
Seattle dropped 3 of their last 5, all in Baltimore, including back-to-back losses by a combined 5 runs to close the series. They're 36-34 and badly need a soft spot in the schedule before they get healthy. A road set against a depleted Washington rotation in the middle of June qualifies.
The vibes side with the Mariners — Miller has been one of the best 4 or 5 arms in baseball over the last month, and the Nats lineup has been streaky behind their pitching. The bullpen behind Miller is the wobble. If Seattle can get him into the 7th with the lead, this is over. If he goes 5 and hands it to a Brash-less pen, all bets are off.