San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller was placed on Major League Baseball’s postseason paternity list on Tuesday, missing Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers while his wife, Jordan, went into labor with their first child.
The San Diego bullpen lost its premier late-inning arm just 45 minutes before first pitch at Petco Park, forcing manager Craig Stammen to adjust his late-inning relief strategy. Miller joins starting pitcher Walker Buehler on the postseason paternity list during the Padres’ series against Milwaukee, as San Diego fights to extend its season after dropping the first two games in Wisconsin.
Paternity Rules and Roster Adjustments in San Diego
Under Major League Baseball postseason rules, players placed on the paternity list must remain away from the club for a minimum of one day and a maximum of three days. To fill the active roster vacancy, the Padres activated left-handed relief pitcher Wandy Peralta.
League regulations dictate that if Miller returns to the team during the series, Peralta will be the player who gives up his spot on the roster. The team announced the roster transaction shortly before Tuesday’s elimination game, coming on the heels of other lineup adjustments that included scratching designated hitter Gavin Sheets due to a stiff neck.
Prior to Game 1 of the NLCS in 2019, Daniel Hudson of the Washington Nationals became the inaugural player to be added to this list. Because his wife, McKenzie, had their second child, Padres starter Walker Buehler—a teammate of Miller—was absent for Game 1 of the series against the Brewers. Buehler, who won two World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers, did not appear in the NL wild-card sweep of the Chicago Cubs.
Bullpen Calculations After Miller Game 2 Struggles
Miller’s departure leaves a massive void in the back end of a San Diego relief corps that ranked among the league’s best during the regular season. The hard-throwing right-hander posted a stellar 1.67 ERA alongside an NL-leading 38 saves across 66 regular-season appearances, striking out 129 batters in 70 innings.
Yet his final outing before the break proved rocky. Entrusted with a six-out save opportunity in Game 2 at American Family Field, Miller labored through the ninth inning, walking three batters and surrendering a walk-off two-run single to Jackson Chourio that handed Milwaukee a 4-3 victory.
Stammen acknowledged that asking the closer to span more than three outs contributed to his control issues on Sunday, noting it was a strategy the team would need to reevaluate moving forward.
How the Padres Cover the Late Innings Without Their Closer
With Miller unavailable, left-hander Adrian Morejon is expected to slide into the closer role for save situations. Morejon picked up three saves during the regular season behind Miller. The San Diego relief infrastructure also features setup options in Jason Adam and Bragdley Rodriguez, alongside left-hander Yuki Matsui.
The Brewers hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, putting the Padres in a historical hole. Teams claiming a 2-0 lead in a five-game postseason series have gone on to win 83 of 93 historical matchups. If San Diego manages a win on Tuesday to force a Game 4 on Wednesday, Miller would be eligible to return to the active roster immediately.
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