PITTSBURGH _ Shelby Miller is a starting pitcher. He says so, and so does his Baseball Reference page.
The right-hander is scheduled for his seventh start of the season Wednesday and No. 131 of his career. He has six career relief appearances, and he doesn't have much interest in adding to that total.
The Texas Rangers, though, are considering it, and it appears to be more of a front-burner item than it was a week ago when the subject was first broached with manager Chris Woodward.
Miller, essentially coming back from Tommy John surgery in 2017 after his 2018 comeback try was aborted, will take the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 7.99 ERA. It's probably a bad time to mention he has a 6.52 career ERA at PNC Park.
Timing is everything, and Wednesday would be an excellent time for Miller to deliver his best outing of the season.
"Obviously, I don't want to be in the bullpen," Miller said Tuesday. "I've started my whole career. If I continue to not figure this thing out, that would be an option. I don't see myself being down there."
Adrian Sampson started the opener of a two-game interleague series Tuesday only seven days after tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the Pirates at Globe Life Park. He didn't have the same good fortune in a 5-4 loss in which he allowed five runs in five innings.
Hunter Pence drove in all four runs for the Rangers, including a two-run homer in the fourth that staked Sampson to a 2-1 lead, but the right-hander coughed up two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to send the Rangers to a third straight loss in seven days to the Pirates.
The Rangers, who hadn't played at PNC Park since 2007, got within a run in the seventh as Pence delivered a two-out two-run double.
Miller also faced the Pirates last week, allowing four runs in 3 1/3 innings Wednesday. He opened with three scoreless innings only 40 pitches before the first four Pirates reached in the fourth on a single, two walks and another single. Miller was pulled two batters later after a three-run double by Bryan Reynolds.
Big innings have haunted Miller this season, as he has been unable to stop rallies quickly enough.
"It's getting past that hiccup where if I do get in trouble, it's minimize the damage as far as not letting the inning escalate," Miller said. "The walks are killing me. I didn't really give up many hard-hit balls last time."
Woodward is aware that Miller is still trying to knock off some rust while pitching healthy for the first time since 2016. Miller's command isn't as sharp as it was, and he's trying to find ways to be more efficient with what he has now.
The fastball is fine, but the off-speed pitches have been inconsistent.
A manager's job, though, is to give players their best chance to succeed, and one thought is that Miller might be better as a reliever. His mid-90s fastball might be more of a weapon in small doses.
Woodward wants Miller to be a starter and hopes he delivers his best outing of the season Wednesday. But he also said that it's important for Miller to have a good start as the evaluation process continues.
"We should be willing to maximize our guys in their best role possible," Woodward said. "If this is just the first month or first two months where he can gain some traction and some stamina and maintain his stuff through 80 or 90 pitches, then maybe that's moving forward.
"But we've got to keep our eye that and if it's not progressing that way, then maybe we use him in a different role. It's not a slight on him. We're not looking down on him. We're just trying to maximize our guys in whatever role was think is best."
