Cincinnati Reds Starting Pitcher Struggles in Triple-A Rehab Start

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Ethan Miller, making his highly anticipated return to the mound in a Triple-A rehab assignment with the Louisville Bats, endured a challenging outing on Tuesday night. Miller, who has been sidelined since early May with a forearm strain, was expected to take a significant step forward in his recovery, but instead, his performance raised more questions than answers regarding his readiness to rejoin the big-league rotation. The right-hander struggled with command and efficiency, exiting the game much earlier than anticipated.

Facing the Indianapolis Indians, Miller lasted just 2.1 innings, surrendering five earned runs on six hits, including a pair of home runs. He issued three walks and managed only two strikeouts, throwing 68 pitches, a significant portion of which were out of the strike zone. Reports from scouts and observers indicated that while his velocity occasionally touched the mid-90s, it lacked consistency, and his secondary pitches, particularly his slider, were flat and ineffective. Several of the hits he allowed were hard contact, suggesting he was leaving pitches over the plate or failing to induce weak contact. This outing marked his first competitive game action in over six weeks, highlighting the rust and the physical hurdles still to overcome.