Mariners' Bryce Miller velocity surge pairs nicely with amazing injury update

It was hard not to be trepidatious about Bryce Miller coming into spring training. The bone spur he had in 2025 was not a small problem, and he didn't even have offseason surgery to fix it.

And yet, there he is. Just strutting around Seattle Mariners camp in Peoria talking about how good he feels and, as if to prove his point, pumping high-90s fastballs like it's nothing. He averaged 97.3 mph in his spring training debut on Thursday, a 2.5 mph increase over his average from last season.

As for his decision to go the non-surgical route with the bone spur in his right elbow — which caused not one, but two IL stints in 2025 — Miller has no regrets. Per his own telling in a Brock and Salk interview, he hasn't felt this good in years:

All of this should give the Mariners a certain vision: What if instead of the Miller who posted a 5.68 ERA in 2025, they get the Miller who had a 2.94 ERA and led the staff in rWAR in 2024?

Above all, this could hinge on his non-surgical decision continuing to age well. And this is where it helps to know that he didn't just do nothing with his elbow.

Bryce Miller is healthy and throwing heat in Mariners spring training, and it may not be a tease

Daniel Kramer of MLB.com has the story of Miller's treatment, which involved a Synvisc injection meant to improve joint lubrication and help with inflammation and pain. It was recommended by orthopedist Dr. Keith Meister, who imparted to Miller that any further trouble with the bone spur isn't anything another injection can't fix.

Mind you, this doesn't seem to be the only reason for the 27-year-old's velo spike. As he also told Brock and Salk, he beefed up over the winter with the help of venison and the same go-to trick that seemingly every MLB player has: copious amounts of Chipotle.

That all of this was going to lead to more velocity was apparent even before Miller reported to camp. And on Thursday, a hidden silver lining of his debut is that he threw harder in his second inning (97.7 mph) than he did in his first (97.2 mph).

As he's also armed with a new slider that he straight up stole from Houston Astros reliever Bryan Abrey, the "man on a mission" energy around Miller right now is thick indeed. As long as his body allows it to stay that way, the Mariners could have a top-of-the-rotation starter hanging out in the back end of their 2026 rotation.