The Los Angeles’ Dodgers starting rotation is a shell of what it was supposed to look like this season.
Read more: Dodgers Place Another All-Star on Injured List
Co-aces Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are on the injured list. So, too are future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, former All-Stars Walker Buehler and Tony Gonsolin, and Dustin May.
What once appeared to be a strength is now a major weakness for L.A. — and on Wednesday, yet another member of the rotation suffered an unfortunate fate.
The Dodgers announced Wednesday they optioned right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller to the minor leagues. Miller, who started a National League Division Series game last October, is now heading to the minor leagues after a disastrous start to the 2024 season.
The Dodgers have optioned Bobby Miller to Triple-A.
With the All-Star break next week, they won’t need him for a few weeks.
He’s struggled mightily this season with an 8.07 ERA.
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) July 10, 2024
Miller has an 8.07 ERA in seven starts. After a dominant first start of 2024 — six innings, zero earned runs, and 11 strikeouts — he made back-to-back rough starts before going on the injured list. Miller missed more than two months due to shoulder inflammation, but returned in mid-June with the hopes of getting his season back on track. Unfortunately, the opposite happened.
Miller allowed 19 earned runs in 17.1 innings after returning from the IL, and had the worst start of his young career on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Miller allowed nine runs on 10 hits with just two strikeouts in four innings of work en route to an embarrassing 10-1 loss for L.A.
Harry How/Getty Images
Both Miller and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made it known that the right-hander was healthy after his Tuesday outing. Miller’s velocity has been down, but the 25-year-old doesn’t know why.
“I couldn’t tell you,” Miller said to reporters on Tuesday. “I’m trying everything I can. Shoulder is strong right now so it’s probably just mechanics. It’s a little bit of everything. I’m still trying to figure that out.”
Roberts said Wednesday that Miller will work with Dodgers player development coaches and use this time as a “reset.” Then, after the All-Star break, he’ll join the team’s Triple-A rotation in Oklahoma City.
According to Roberts, there’s no timeline for Miller’s return to the big leagues.
With Miller in the minor leagues and all the aforementioned pitchers out, the Dodgers rotation currently consists of Gavin Stone, Landon Knack, James Paxton, Justin Wrobleski, and Ryan Yarbrough. The Dodgers’ already dire need for starting pitching at the trade deadline just skyrocketed.
Miller had a 3.76 ERA in 22 starts in his rookie season last year. The former first-round pick by the Dodgers in 2020 will look to get his career back on track amid this sophomore slump.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
