These Mariners can step up into Bryce Miller's void after latest injury setback

Even when the Seattle Mariners were projecting confidence in Bryce Miller's recovery from left oblique inflammation, there was still a sliver of doubt that he would be ready for Opening Day. It only grew when he tried and failed to throw a full-effort bullpen session on Wednesday.

As reported by Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, Miller was only able to get off a few warm-up pitches before pulling the plug on the session altogether. He won't be shut down from throwing altogether, and he could even throw a lower-effort bullpen session in the coming days.

Yet even if GM Justin Hollander did not rule out Miller being ready in time for Opening Day on March 26, the math is not favorable. The 27-year-old only made one spring appearance before getting hurt, and it lasted just 1.1 innings. Even if he didn't have to pitch until the Mariners' fifth game on March 30, there isn't a lot of time to get him built up.

Fortunately, the Mariners have some options to fill Miller's shoes.

These are the Mariners' 3 best candidates to fill Bryce Miller's spot in the starting rotation

RHP Emerson Hancock

When the Mariners have needed an emergency starter in recent seasons, they have dialed 1-800-Hancock. If Miller indeed has to start 2026 on the injured list, this is likely to be the case once again.

As he was the club's much-hyped No. 6 pick in 2020, it's hard to look at Hancock's 4.81 ERA in the majors and not feel disappointed. And so it goes this spring, as he's made three Cactus League appearances and been knocked around for a 4.91 ERA.

However, there are silver linings at play with the 26-year-old right now. He's only allowed four hits and one walk to the 28 batters he's faced, and he's struck out 12 of them. He's gained 0.8 mph on his four-seam fastball, which now sits at an impressive average of 95.7 mph.

RHP Cooper Criswell

The Mariners picked Criswell up in an innocuous-seeming transaction with the New York Mets in January. He's played a swingman role in the majors, making 21 starts out of 45 total appearances that have covered 154.2 innings. On the whole, he has an unimpressive 4.48 ERA.

The 29-year-old has nonetheless made an impression this spring, making four appearances and allowing only two earned runs in 10.1 innings. He isn't overpowering, but a low arm angle and dramatically different speeds and shapes on four pitches make him tough to get a read on.

Criswell is probably better suited for a long relief role, especially given that the Mariners can delay using Hancock's last minor league option by carrying him out of the gate. But if the idea is to simply field the best team, perhaps it will be Criswell who gets Miller's spot.

RHP Dane Dunning

The next man up on the 40-man roster is Blas Castaño, who was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma amid all the commotion on Wednesday. Dunning is with the Mariners as a non-roster invitee, and he's currently away pitching for Korea in the World Baseball Classic.

Even so, Dunning is a viable candidate to get a look for Miller's spot just because of his experience. The WBC is obviously a big stage, and he was previously a member of the Texas Rangers' World Series-winning club in 2023.

Nobody will call Dunning overpowering, and both walks and home runs can be issues for him on a bad day. But if the Mariners want someone who can offer the potential for five solid innings until Miller gets back, Dunning might actually be their best hope.