When will Mason Miller return to Athletics rotation this season?

Mason Miller was among the best stories of this young baseball season, especially for an Oakland Athletics team that doesn’t have a lot going for it (on or off the field) right now. That story got put on pause on May 8, when word first emerged that the righty had begun feeling discomfort in his forearm after his latest start against the Kansas City Royals.

It’s a very tough break amid a very tough season for the A’s, as Miller had lived up to every bit of his prospect pedigree since getting the call to the Majors back in April. In large part thanks to his triple-digit fastball, he’d posted a 3.38 ERA over his first four starts — including seven no-hit innings against the Seattle Mariners back on May 2.

Mason Miller injury update

May 11 — The righty was officially placed on the 15-day IL with forearm tightness:

Last we’d heard, Miller had left the A’s amid a road trip to head back to Oakland for further evaluation. There’s no word as yet as to just what that evaluation uncovered, and the team has still yet to release any sort of firm diagnosis or timetable for a return — but safe to say that the righty will be shut down from throwing for the foreseeable future.

Now he’s looking at likely at least month on the shelf; even if it turns out to just (“just”) be inflammation, that would require multiple weeks to heal and then multiple weeks to allow Miller to build himself back up prior to returning to the Majors. Luis Medina was called up to start Thursday’s game against the Texas Rangers, and he could stick in the rotation should Miller miss extended time.