Miller joins Phillies as left-handed bat
PHILADELPHIA -- Brad Miller is going to fill the role that Jay Bruce planned to take with the Phillies a little more than a week ago.
But after Andrew McCutchen suffered a season-ending tear to the ACL in his left knee on June 3, Bruce became the Phillies’ everyday left fielder. The Phillies still need a left-handed bat for their bench, which is why they announced Thursday they had acquired Miller from the Yankees for cash considerations. It is unclear whose spot Miller will take on the 25-man roster, but the Phillies said he will be in uniform for this weekend’s series against the Braves in Atlanta.
The Phillies also could add outfielder Roman Quinn to the roster this weekend. He is on the 10-day injured list recovering from a strained right groin.
Miller, 29, hit a career-high 30 home runs for the Rays in 2016, but he has hit 17 homers in parts of three seasons since with the Rays, Brewers and Indians. He posted a .692 OPS in that span. Miller has a .755 career OPS against right-handed pitchers, which would be welcomed production for the Phillies, but he also has a .412 career OPS as a pinch-hitter.
Miller had been hitting .294 with 10 homers, 29 RBIs and a .994 OPS with Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre. He has played all four infield and all three outfield positions in the big leagues.