The Padres head into a must-win Game 3 without closer Mason Miller, who has been placed on the paternity list following the birth of his child.
The stakes for tonight’s Game 3 could not be higher. but the Padres will have to navigate this must-win scenario without the anchor of their bullpen. Mason Miller. the closer who defined San Diego’s season with his electric arm. has been placed on the paternity list following the birth of his first child. With the series on the line. the timing leaves the team scrambling to adjust during their most critical stretch of the year.
Miller’s absence is felt deeply because of the standard he set throughout the regular season. He led the National League with 38 saves and maintained a sharp 1.67 earned run average across 66 outings. His ability to dominate was statistically singular. leading all of baseball with a 47.4% strikeout rate—a figure reflecting his knack for fanning nearly half of the batters he faced. He carried that momentum into the postseason. delivering a scoreless frame with two strikeouts to help secure the Wild Card Series sweep against the Cubs.
However, the fragility of a bullpen was laid bare this past Sunday. The Brewers managed to rattle the right-hander during a high-leverage two-inning save attempt. After a clean eighth inning, Miller returned for the ninth holding a 3-2 lead. He struggled with his command, walking three of the first five batters. Jackson Chourio eventually capitalized on Miller’s 40th pitch of the night, driving a two-run, walk-off single into center field. That single pushed the Padres to the brink of elimination, shifting the momentum of the series entirely.
Major League Baseball has approved the move to the paternity list. which mandates a minimum absence of tonight’s game and a maximum of three days. should the Padres extend the series further. To fill the roster spot, the team has activated Wandy Peralta. While Peralta will be available for tonight and potentially Game 4, the team’s late-inning strategy will likely pivot elsewhere. Peralta recorded a 3.61 ERA over 77 1/3 innings during the regular season. though his strikeout rate sat at 15.6% and he struggled to maintain his trademark ground-ball profile. finishing at a career-low 45.6%. Having been scratched for the Wild Card Series as well. he remains behind Yuki Matsui and Adrian Morejon on the organizational depth chart.
With Miller away. the pressure shifts to Adrian Morejon. who now stands as the most logical option to close out a save situation. Manager Craig Stammen must weigh his options carefully; if the game script demands it. Morejon could be pulled into leverage situations earlier in the middle innings. potentially opening the door for Jason Adam or Bradgley Rodriguez to handle the final outs. Peralta is likely to see action only if the Padres command a comfortable lead. allowing the team to keep their high-leverage arms fresh for a potential Game 4.
Miller’s departure creates a vacuum in late-inning relief that is difficult to fill. The reliance on Miller throughout the season allowed for a rigid structure in the bullpen. but tonight. the team’s tactical approach is forced into a state of flux. The rotation of arms will be dictated by the game’s flow rather than the preferred path to victory that held steady for 66 games.
Mason Miller Padres MLB Paternity List Game 3 Baseball Wandy Peralta