The San Diego Padres are evaluating major roster adjustments, including potentially trading standout closer Mason Miller before the August 3, 2026, trade deadline to repair an offense and starting rotation that have caused the team to plummet in the standings.
San Diego has lost nine of its last 10 games, sliding into third place in the National League West and sitting 4.5 games behind in the wild-card chase.
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The slide has severely limited save opportunities for Miller, who has pitched only four times over the last two weeks under manager Craig Stammen.
Addressing the limited game action during the current slump, Miller noted the challenge of maintaining rhythm without frequent appearances.
"It's not easy, for sure," stated Miller.
"Because you get out there and you feel like you're trying to get your feet under you a little bit.
[Saturday], obviously my command wasn't sharp. But stuff is fine, body feels good.
But obviously it's hard to go out there and feel really confident in your execution."
Despite the recent lack of utilization, the right-hander maintains a 0.98 ERA and has successfully converted all 22 of his save opportunities this season.
After conceding a run during a loss on Saturday, he rebounded with a perfect ninth inning on Sunday to secure a victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"I was just excited to get back in a game today after [Saturday]," added Miller. "Got the juices going [Saturday] a little bit.
