AquaSox blow out Hillsboro in Bryce Miller’s latest rehab start

Published 12:50 am Thursday, May 7, 2026

EVERETT — Luke Stevenson needed just four pitches to extend his season-opening on-base streak to 21 games when the Everett AquaSox faced the Hillsboro Hops at Everett Memorial Stadium on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old catcher took the first pitch he saw, then fouled off two more before getting one up in the zone, which he sent off the center field wall to score outfielder Jonny Farmelo and shortstop Felnin Celesten to give the AquaSox a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

The next time he stepped up to the plate, Stevenson needed just one pitch. Challenged with another fastball up in the zone, Stevenson punished it with a 386-foot shot over the tallest part of the scoreboard, extending the lead to 5-0 with his second homer of the season.

“Same thing, day in and day out,” Stevenson said. “Trying to execute my plan, trying to hit balls hard, be on the barrel, and do everything I can to compete every at-bat.”

The AquaSox picked up five more runs in the bottom of the fourth en route to a 10-0 win.

Stevenson finished with two hits and four RBI, but he arguably had a more exciting night behind the plate. Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller returned to Everett nearly two weeks after his last rehab start with the AquaSox, and the 27-year-old righty tossed 61 pitches over five innings, allowing just two hits and three walks. His outing was so efficient that he threw another 10-15 pitches in the bullpen after Reid Easterly took over for him in the sixth, just to get to his planned number of reps.

Recovering from an oblique injury that landed him on the injured list before Opening Day in late March, Miller said it’s been a month-and-a-half since he felt anything wrong physically. After steadily escalating his pitch count over the past few weeks, he feels ready to get back with the big club. Between his starts in Everett, Miller pitched four scoreless innings with four strikeouts and two hits allowed in Triple-A Tacoma on April 30.

“I felt a little more, like, built-up, I’d say, than last week,” Miller said. “It’s a little cooler out tonight, but I felt good coming back out (for the) third, fourth, fifth (innings). … I’m ready to get back and get back on the field, and kind of help the team put some zeroes up and string some wins together.”

While it was the first time Miller and Stevenson were battery mates in a real game, the two worked together a couple of times before, including a bullpen session last week, according to Miller. Stevenson also had an opportunity to pick his brain earlier this spring, learning about his typical game plan and what he likes to execute in different situations. They picked up the conversation going into Wednesday’s game.

“I just wanted to do everything I can to put him in position to throw as many strikes and go off what he’s looking and what he’s feeling, and what feels good,” Stevenson said.

As for Miller, he was impressed with the way the young catcher balanced calling the game with making sure Miller got to work through what he wanted to.

“It’s a big, I guess, big change, big kind of responsibility for him to call the game and also know what I’m trying to work on,” Miller said. “(To) get through seven pitches, you know, it’s not easy, and I think he received the ball well. He called a good game. He did great.

“And he hit a home run too, right? That’ll work.”

While it was only his second bomb of the season, offensive production has been the norm for Stevenson. In his first month playing High-A, he earned the Mariners’ Minor League Hitter of the Month for April after slashing .321/.500/.482. As of Wednesday, he’s reached base safely at least once in every game this season.

Stevenson’s not the only one hot at the plate. Celesten went 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored to extend his hit streak to 13 games, and Farmelo went 2-for-4 with three runs scored. The trio of Farmelo, Celesten and Stevenson sit sixth, seventh and eighth in the MLB ranking of the Mariners’ prospect pool, respectively. They all have entrenched themselves as fixtures in the top half of the lineup, and have each shown growth in their respective defensive disciplines as well.

“It’s all their work they put in,” said AquaSox bench coach Logan Moore, who served as acting manager on Wednesday with Ryan Scott out of town. “Nobody really sees it, but they’re getting after it every day, and they’re professionals with how they go about their work, and for being as young as they are, they get after it. It’s pretty fun to watch.”

Celesten in particular has taken a massive step offensively since he first arrived in Everett in August last year. After hitting just .158 with a .602 OPS in 11 regular-season games with the AquaSox in 2025, the 20-year-old is second on the team behind Stevenson (.310/.479/.507) in both average (.309) and on-base percentage (.410), and he trails only Axel Sanchez (21) with 18 RBI.

Celesten said his biggest focus this offseason was committing to his “hot zone,” and cutting down on his chase rate. His first two hits on Wednesday came on the second pitch of the at-bat. If he sees a pitch he likes, he’ll seize it.

“Yes, pretty much, that’s the plan,” Celesten said, translated by AquaSox outfield coach Edgardo Rivera. “If I see the pitch that I’m looking for early, I’m going to go for it. I’m going to attack it. So just be ready early. If they throw it to me where I’m looking for it early in the at-bat, yes, I’m going to do damage.”

After Farmelo legged out a triple in the bottom of the third, Celesten brought him home with an RBI single to right field to make it 3-0. Stevenson’s home run pushed it to 5-0, and Everett continued to pour it on in the fourth.

Infielder Austin St. Laurent and outfielder Anthony Donofrio hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners, and infielder Carter Dorighi hit a three-run shot 382 feet for his second homer of the year, blowing the lead up to 8-0. Farmelo worked a walk, then advanced to third on a throwing error as he stole second, which set up Celesten for another simple RBI single. First baseman Brandon Eike capped the rally three batters later with an RBI single to push it to 10-0.

The five-run fourth inning took so long, that Miller actually went out to the bullpen to stay warm as Everett batted around the order. Like many big-league pitchers, Miller will usually throw plyo ball drills in the cages behind the dugout, but he had to improvise with the limited space at Everett Memorial Stadium. It worked just fine, as he allowed a one-out single in the fifth — just his second hit allowed — before retiring the next two batters to end his night.

“A little low on room in there, so I just ran down there and threw a little bit,” Miller said. “But yeah, felt good when I came back out. They had a lot of quick at-bats today. A lot of ground balls. … I’ll always take a quick out, but I’m trying to get to 70 pitches, so just trying to not be too efficient, I guess, but no, I won’t ever turn down a first- or second-pitch groundout, or weak contact.”

Once Miller left the game, Easterly allowed just one hit and struck out four batters across the next two innings before Christian Little and Brock Moore breezed through the eighth and ninth, respectively, to complete the shutout effort.

The AquaSox allowed six or more runs in each of the previous six games, but Miller’s dominance appeared to be contagious on Wednesday.

“All the eyes are on him. All of our pitchers are watching that,” Moore said. “That’s what they’re striving to be, so I think it’s great when you get a big league guy in here and you can see how they go about their day, their business, their work on the mound. It’s just great for them to take bits and pieces and maybe apply it to their game.”

If Miller has things his way, he won’t have to pitch in Everett ever again. That said, the two rehab assignments appeared to be mutually beneficial.