Shelby Miller recorded his first save for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, completing a 4-2 win over the New York Mets. The save marked a shift in responsibility for the veteran right-hander amid injuries in the team's relief corps.
Miller's opportunity arose after the Diamondbacks placed reliever Justin Martinez on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation Wednesday. Martinez and A.J. Puk, who is on the 60-day injured list with a left elbow injury, had accounted for seven of the team's first nine saves.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Miller would get save opportunities following Thursday's outing. Miller threw eight pitches while facing the bottom of the Mets' batting order.
The save was the fourth of Miller's career. He has also recorded five career complete-game shutouts, the last coming in 2016.
Miller, 34, was initially acquired by Arizona in a blockbuster trade in December 2015 with the Atlanta Braves that included Dansby Swanson. Miller struggled during his first tenure with the Diamondbacks due to injuries, including undergoing Tommy John surgery after four starts in 2017, and poor performance.
He transitioned to a relief role later in his career after bouncing between organizations. Miller signed a minor league deal with Arizona in February.
Miller has thrown 13.2 innings this season with a 0.00 ERA across 13 appearances for the Diamondbacks. He has allowed just four hits and struck out 15 while walking four.
His fastball velocity has increased, averaging 94.5 mph this season, up from recent years. He has also used a splitter and sweeper effectively.
"I just wanted to go somewhere I had some familiar faces," Shelby Miller said about returning to the Diamondbacks organization. "Going to a team that was near and dear to me and the coaching staff and being back with this club has been a blessing."
