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SAN DIEGO (AP) — All-Star closer Mason Miller is set to return to the San Diego Padres' bullpen for Wednesday night's Game 4 of the NL Division Series after missing one playoff game while on the paternity list.
Miller was officially reinstated to the Padres' roster ahead of the matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers. Although he had not yet arrived at the clubhouse several hours before first pitch, manager Craig Stammen reported that Miller and his wife experienced a smooth and healthy past 24 hours.
San Diego is also optimistic that top setup man Adrian Morejon could be available after he was sidelined for Game 3 due to shoulder discomfort, according to Stammen.
The Padres are fighting to avoid elimination for the second consecutive night at Petco Park, with the Brewers holding a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.
Walker Buehler will take the mound for Game 4 after he also missed the first two games of the series on the paternity list.
"Everybody has a different situation, a different way of looking at it, a different expectation," Stammen said. "There's always health implications that go with it, and the No. 1 thing is you want a healthy baby and you want Mom and Dad to enjoy it. I think we've been able to accomplish that with the two births we've had here in October."
The Padres scratched Miller roughly 45 minutes before Game 3's first pitch on Tuesday, yet San Diego managed a 4-3 win behind 4 2/3 gutsy innings of one-run relief from four pitchers following starter Nick Pivetta.
Game 2 starter Michael King stepped up to toss the final two innings on just one day of rest, notching his first save since 2023.
Miller had been a dominant closer in his first full season with the Padres, converting 38 of 41 save chances with a 0.90 WHIP and 129 strikeouts over just 70 innings. However, he faltered in a six-out save opportunity in Game 2 of the NLDS in Milwaukee.
Miller loaded the bases with walks before surrendering Jackson Chourio's two-out, two-strike, two-run single that sealed the Brewers' 4-3 win on Miller's 40th pitch.
Both teams dismissed widespread postgame speculation that Miller had been tipping his pitches.
Nevertheless, the Padres have leaned heavily on Miller and his 104 mph fastball throughout the season, winning 91 games and securing the NL's first wild card spot.
Miller recorded the save in San Diego's series-clinching victory over the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card Series last week.
Morejon's absence further strained the Padres' bullpen after he developed shoulder stiffness earlier in the series, prompting the club to hold him out of Game 3.
The Padres will assess Morejon before Game 4 to determine if he feels well enough to pitch.
"He was feeling a little bit better postgame last night," Stammen said Wednesday. "So we're hopeful today that he'll be available."
San Diego is counting on a strong outing from Buehler, who hasn't pitched since Sept. 26. The two-time World Series champion owns a career 3.04 ERA over 19 postseason appearances, and in his most recent playoff outing, he earned the save in the Dodgers' championship-clinching win over the Yankees in 2024.
Stammen even mentioned that King could also be available out of the bullpen in Game 4, despite having already thrown 14 innings with two starts in the Padres' first five playoff games.
_ See AP's full MLB coverage here.
Originally reported by local10.