NEWSLETTER
At long last, a little over a month into the season, Wade Miley will be making his Chicago Cubs debut after successfully ramping back up (elbow inflammation). I try not to be too maudlin too early, but still, you can’t help but wonder if he’s arriving too late to make a difference.
After a very successful rehab start with the Iowa Cubs last week, Miley has had enough to know he’s ready to go for the big league team tomorrow:
Ross announces LHP Wade Miley is scheduled to return from the IL to start tomorrow. Wednesday still TBD.
— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) May 9, 2022
The Cubs claimed Miley, 35, off of waivers last year from the Reds, who were trying to get out of paying him a $1 million buyout on his very reasonable option for 2022. So the Cubs got him for nothing except paying his $10 million salary.
As for what you can realistically expect, well, Miley is not an ace but he should be a stabilizing presence. He pitches to contact, especially to righties with a great inner-half cutter that generates a boatload of groundballs. It’s fair to guess that he’ll have some clunkers mixed in when balls find holes and he gives up a homer or two, but a typical Miley start should be five or six innings, two times-ish through the order, and keeping the Cubs in the game. Maybe that’s not saying a lot, but boy do the Cubs need that in their rotation.
And if he’s healthy and pitching well come July while the Cubs are out of it, well, that’s another factor to consider when rooting for his success this year …
