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Dodgers’ Bobby Miller Returns To Minors As Injuries Pile Up

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 9: Bobby Miller #28 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 9, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers 10-1. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Highly touted Dodgers pitching prospect Bobby Miller will return to the minor leagues this week after just seven starts in the 2024 season. Miller has racked up an 8.07 ERA and has only gone longer than six innings once since late March.

The Dodgers, who have refused to trade Miller through several deadlines in past seasons, claim that they are sending down Miller to give him a chance to reset. The last straw seemed to be his most recent outing against the Phillies Tuesday, when he got shelled for nine earned runs in four innings.

“We’ve got to get him right,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, according to MLB.com. “That’s the impetus. And what’s the best way to get him right mentally, emotionally and mechanically… We just felt this was the best thing for Bobby and for us. He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do this year, so we just felt that’s the best thing to do.”

Miller’s struggles and demotion could not come at a worse time for Los Angeles, as the team is dealing with a number of injuries in the starting rotation. Earlier this week, Tyler Glasnow joined fellow starters Clayton Kershaw, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler on the injured list. An injury to star outfielder and MVP candidate Mookie Betts has also proven costly.

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Facing tougher opponents like the Phillies, Brewers and Diamondbacks over the last two weeks, these injuries have finally begun to take their toll on the Dodgers. Los Angeles has lost six of its last nine games, though the team still holds a comfortable lead in the N.L. West for now.

If players like Miller fail to step up and replace the team’s ailing stars, the Dodgers may go from World Series favorite to postseason also-ran, a role the team has grown all too familiar with in recent seasons. Record-breaking signee Shohei Ohtani is in the midst of a torrid season, batting .317 with 28 home runs, but he was supposed to be a leader on a star-studded roster. With so many health concerns, the depth chart around the slugger now is looking a little too close to his final days in Anaheim.