11:40 a.m. PT: According to Mike Vorel of the Seattle Times, Miller will be shut down for just "a day or two," but he won't pitch in his next scheduled turn in the rotation.

11:00 a.m. PT: Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller is being shut down for five days because of some side discomfort, as reported by Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710:

Bryce Miller has been battling soreness in his left side as he has in the past in camp. MRI showed inflammation. He had a PRP shot and is shut down for 5 days. This is very precautionary. Had it been the regular season Miller probably wouldn't have reported the soreness.

While it's good to hear that it's precautionary, it muddies the enthusiasm over Miller's first Cactus League outing, which saw him hit 98 mph the other day.

The 27-year-old Miller is vital to the Mariners rotation and their success this season. He had a disastrous 2025, making just 18 starts and pitching to a 5.68 ERA, but rebounded to be the team's best starter in the playoffs, winning Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

While the M's have improved their lineup heading into 2026, the rotation is still the lifeblood of the organization. Furthermore, the Mariners don't have a ton of depth in the rotation, especially after Logan Evans was ruled out for the season with Tommy John surgery.

Should Miller - or anyone - need to miss time, then Cooper Criswell and Emerson Hancock are options, as are Dane Dunning and Randy Dobnak.

A three-year veteran, Miller is 24-21 in his career with a 4.01 ERA. He was stellar in 2024, pitching to a 2.94 in 31 starts.

The Mariners are taking on the San Diego Padres on Saturday afternoon (12:10 p.m. PT). Kade Anderson will make his first professional start. We watched him in an electric live bullpen session last week at the Peoria Sports Complex.

--The latest episode of the 'Refuse to Lose' podcast is out, featuring a quick talk with Cole Young and the latest on the battle for the final bullpen spot, as well as what we've seen from Mariners starters in the early going. The next episode will come out Monday night or Tuesday morning as Cactus League play rolls on.

--Julio Rodriguez has already left camp in preparation for the World Baseball Classic. He'll play for the Dominican Republic, with the tournament slated to begin on March 5. The DR will open up play on March 6 against Nicaragua. They are one of the tournament favorites.

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