“I’m trying to check the boxes of feeling good and be able to bounce back,” he said after pitching 2⅓ innings in the Dayton Dragons’ 10-0 loss to West Michigan. “It’s so early in the process of competing again. I can’t get too caught up in the results. I just got to go out and feel good, make pitches and just keep moving forward.”
Miley, 38, wants to make it back to the majors and pitch again for the Cincinnati Reds.
“I’m not a young kid anymore, so I’m getting a little bit old, but it’s fun,” he said. “I still love to compete. Still have the same butterflies before the game.”
In the first of two starts Miley will make for the Dragons this week, his velocity was good. He hit 91 and 90 mph with a few fastballs. He was high 80s with his cutter, but he struggled to throw the cutter where he wanted.
“I was chasing the cutter the whole game just because it wasn’t where I wanted it,” he said. “I just really couldn’t get it to go outside like I normally would like to and paid for it. I threw a couple decent ones, but for the most part, it was a little quick. Just probably a little too amped up.”
Miley allowed six runs on nine hits. Brett Callahan hit a solo homer and the Whitecaps hit the ball into the corners six times for doubles. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out two.
“Obviously the results weren’t there, but at the end of the day it’s getting through that first time with any adrenaline, with fans and stuff like that,” he said. “It’s good to get out there and compete.”
Miley is scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale against West Michigan. After that start, he just wants to keep working to get back to the majors.
“It’s a good organization, and I think they brought in a lot of good guys and are ready to win,” Miley said of the Reds. “And hopefully at some point this year I can get there and help them.”
Miley, who has pitched 14 years in the majors, had one of his best seasons with the Reds on 2021. He threw a no-hitter and finished 12-7 with a 3.37 ERA. He pitched for the Chicago Cubs in 2022 and made 23 starts for Milwaukee in 2023. He pitched twice for the Brewers last year before his injury.
“I feel like I’m in a good spot,” Miley said. “I just got to go to the drawing board a little bit and clean up the mechanics and get back after it.”
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