A's closer Mason Miller fractures finger in fit of frustration

Mason Miller, the A’s All-Star closer and perhaps their most valuable trade candidate, is heading to the injury list with a broken left hand.

The rookie right-handed reliever fractured the fifth metacarpal in the pinky of his non-throwing hand after Monday night’s win over the Houston Astros. Miller suffered the fracture when he “pounded the table in frustration in the trainer’s room,” according to Mark Ling, the A’s director of baseball communications.

Miller has been placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Tuesday. He pitched a perfect ninth inning on Monday to seal the A’s 4-0 win over the Astros, making his frustration a surprise.

Miller is in the middle of a sterling season, posting a 2.21 ERA with 15 saves and 15.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He is a potential trade-deadline acquisition for contending teams in need of an elite closer, though ESPN’s Buster Olney recently reported that he appears unlikely to be moved by next Tuesday’s trade deadline.

The A’s have not given a timeline for Miller’s return, but a metacarpal fracture typically takes at least three to four weeks to heal, according to the British NHS.

Miller’s bizarre injury is the latest in a line of strange pitching ailments for the A’s. In 2014, left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz broke his right hand while punching a chair after a loss against the Texas Rangers.

In 2018, right-handed reliever Shawn Kelley sliced his right thumb on a knife while washing dishes. In 2021, left-handed starter Jesus Luzardo suffered a hairline fracture in his left pinky when he banged his hand against a table while playing video games.

Most recently, in 2022, right-handed starter James Kaprielian lacerated his right middle finger while putting a shirt on, accidentally hitting his hand on a poster on his wall.