SEATTLE — Shortstop Brad Miller was one of the few bright spots for the Seattle Mariners during an otherwise lost 2013 season, so it came as a bit of a surprise that the young prospect was struggling so badly through the first half of this season that he lost his starting job.
With Miller scuffling to hit .204 through the third week of July, rookie Chris Taylor was promoted from Triple-A and promptly took the starting job. Miller watched from the bench as Taylor tore out of the gates and helped lead the Mariners into the playoff hunt.
Since manager Lloyd McClendon gave Miller a second chance as a platoon player, the 24-year-old left-handed hitter has found his offense again. He made his biggest impact since the benching with a three-RBI night Monday, when two of them came on an eighth-inning triple to break a 1-1 tie in Seattle’s 4-1 win over the Houston Astros.
“I’ve said all along, and a lot of people said I was crazy, that I believe he’s an offensive player in this league,” McClendon said Monday night of Miller, who was hitting .204 when the Mariners called up Taylor. “He struggled a little bit early, but he’s starting to pay off now.”
Since Aug. 11, when Miller began splitting time with Taylor at shortstop following a prolonged stint on the bench, he is hitting .359 to raise his season average to .217.
“I’m just kind of going with the flow,” Miller said Monday night. “Keep playing, and things kind of work out the way that they should.”