Team USA will have its flame-throwing right-hander available if necessary on Tuesday night.
The Americans will have reliever Mason Miller available at their disposal if they see fit to use him in the World Baseball Classic championship game against Venezuela, manager Mark DeRosa told reporters.
The Padres pitcher has already thrown in four games in the tournament, saving two in as many chances. He has an eye-popping 10 strikeouts in four innings — thanks in large part to his triple-digit fastball — and has yet to allow a run.
“I’d like to avoid him, but the score will dictate it,” DeRosa said. “Yes, he’s available.”
Miller closed out Sunday’s 2-1 semifinal thriller over the Dominican Republic, as he struck at two, including the game’s final batter in controversial fashion.
The righty deployed a slider on a payoff pitch to Dominican infielder Geraldo Perdomo, who appeared to deftly lay off a pitch well below the strike zone.
However, home plate umpire Cory Blaser punched out Perdomo to end the game. In the WBC, unlike spring training and the upcoming major and minor league seasons, there is no usage of the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System that would have potentially allowed Perdomo to have turned the strikeout into a walk.
Before Miller even gets the chance to maybe get the ball, Mets starter Nolan McLean is slated to get the ball for the Americans as they look for their second WBC title.
McLean pitched earlier in the tournament, allowing two home runs in the United States’ 8-6 loss to Italy in pool play.
Though he didn’t pitch as well as he would have liked, McLean is coming off an impressive stint with the Mets down the stretch in 2025 where he showed off his stuff, which includes elite spin rate.
DeRosa is confident in the Oklahoma State product’s abilities to lead the Americans.
“He’s just built for this — his mindset, his skill, his want, all of that,” DeRosa said earlier this week.
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