'Throwback' Miley breezes through critical step in Tommy John recovery

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- For the first time in nearly a year, and since he had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, Reds pitcher Wade Miley was facing hitters again on Tuesday. A guy who never needed pitch timers to work fast, Miley had a quicker pace even for him and didn't waste time savoring each pitch.

"He threw like 30 pitches in a minute-and-a-half," one observer noted next to the practice field.

It was actually closer to 20 pitches to hitters TJ Friedl, Jeimer Candelario and Stuart Fairchild with Jose Trevino catching, but it was all done in just about five minutes.

“I’ve got places to be," Miley joked. "You’ve never seen me pitch before?”

“He’s been game ready since 6:30 this morning, which is actually kind of cool," manager Terry Francona said beforehand.

Miley didn't get a moment to settle in. His very first pitch was a fastball down the middle, and Fairchild jumped on it for a home run to left field. It drew chuckles, even from Miley.

“Good for him. No, good. I’ll remember that," he said later back in the clubhouse.

Otherwise, the session was smooth and without issue for Miley, whose last game was on April 16 for the Brewers vs. the Padres.

“I can’t even explain how much fun that was," Miley said. “I threw everything. Changeups, stuff I don’t normally do. I backdoor sinkered Friedl, which isn’t something I normally do but I just wanted to get my tempo and rhythm and just trying to execute whatever [Trevino] put down. I think I shook one time because I wanted to double up the changeup because I didn’t like where it was at. I was very, very happy with it.”

Miley, 38, had his ulnar collateral ligament repaired by Reds orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tim Kremchek in late April. It was a "hybrid procedure" that involved inserting a collagen-braided brace to stabilize the elbow.

Normally, surgeries that repair torn UCL's require 12-18 months of recovery and rehab before returning to pitch in big league games. Quite often, it's closer to the later prognosis.

Like Miley's style of pitching, that timetable is moving towards the quickest one.

“I told my wife, I told my family, I told everybody I didn’t want to wait around 15, 16, 17 months," said Miley, who signed a Minor League contract Feb. 4 to return to Cincinnati -- where he pitched in 2020-21. "I’m going to go out here guns-a-blazing and if it works out, it works out. If not, I’m content with my career. Do I want to keep playing? Of course.

“If it’s a 24-year-old, they want to make sure they get it right, taking the time and doing everything. But I’m in a different boat in a lot of ways so I wanted to push it.”

If all goes well, the Reds are expecting Miley to be ready to go in big league games some time in May. There will be a progression, of course. A couple more live batting practice sessions, followed by extended spring games in Arizona and then some games in the Minor Leagues.

Where he fits on Cincinnati's pitching staff is not yet known but Miley's veteran experience can't hurt. In his last full season -- 2023 for Milwaukee -- he was 9-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts and 120 1/3 innings.

The Reds will not rush Miley back.

“I can’t get enough of him, man. He’s a throwback," Francona said. “We’re going to have to sit on him. I’ve told him that six times already because he wants to pitch, like last week. In fairness to him, he needs to do this right so when he comes back, he can stay back.”

Miley had his own target date, which he knows won't be happening. But it doesn't keep him from trying. It's what keeps him going.

“If it was up to me, April 15," Miley said. "Obviously, there are still things I have to do and accomplish. Honestly, I felt like I never had surgery. It felt really good. I may be sore as hell tomorrow but right now I feel really good.”