One yr and three weeks in the past, Bobby Miller was on the peak of his younger main league profession.
After a promising rookie marketing campaign in 2023, the hard-throwing right-hander had made the Dodgers’ 2024 opening-day rotation. In his season debut, he dominated the St. Louis Cardinals with 11 strikeouts over six scoreless innings. And as a former prime prospect within the group’s pitching-rich farm system, his ascent within the massive leagues appeared to be simply starting.
One yr and three weeks later, he faces an extended climb again.
Known as up from triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis for a spot begin Wednesday, Miller’s first MLB begin of 2025 mirrored the struggles that plagued him over the remainder of 2024.
Over a woeful three-inning outing, the 26-year-old gave up six runs to the middling Colorado Rockies. Regardless of placing out seven batters, he was knocked round for a five-spot within the third, punctuated by a dangling curveball Michael Toglia hit for a grand slam.
The Dodgers nonetheless received, driving a seven-run first inning to an 8-7 victory that accomplished a three-game sequence sweep at Dodger Stadium this week.
However Miller’s implosion was one other troubling signal for the Dodgers’ younger depth choices on the mound.
Like Justin Wrobleski and Landon Knack earlier than him, his return to the majors impressed little confidence.
In a uncommon alternative to make an impression on the Dodgers’ big-league roster, he as an alternative faltered in a frustratingly acquainted script.
Two innings into Wednesday’s begin, Miller seemed to be in full management.
He had restricted harm in a three-hit first inning, placing out the opposite three batters he confronted to surrender only one run. He breezed by means of the second, stranding a two-out single with two extra strikeouts.
And in between, he waited within the dugout for the 25 minutes whereas the Dodgers launched an assault on Rockies starter Germán Márquez.
Shohei Ohtani blasted a 448-foot leadoff dwelling run to the highest of the right-field pavilion. Freddie Freeman additionally discovered the right-field seats for a solo blast two batters later. From there, the Dodgers simply stored coming, with Andy Pages driving two runs dwelling with the bases loaded, Austin Barnes tacking on two extra with a double that marked his first hit of the season, and Ohtani amassing one other RBI in his second at-bat of the inning with a base hit.
Shohei Ohtani heads for dwelling after his first-inning dwelling run.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)
All instructed, the Dodgers scored seven instances, had 9 batters attain base and chased Márquez from the sport after 37 dismal pitches.
It seemingly set Miller as much as cruise by means of the remainder of his evening.
As a substitute, all of it got here unglued within the prime of the third.
After responding to a leadoff single together with his sixth strikeout of the sport, Miller misplaced his really feel for, what as much as that time, had been an efficient curveball. He hung one to Kyle Farmer for a single. He missed with two to Hunter Goodman to stroll the bases loaded.
Then, in a 1-and-2 depend to Toglia, he fired one other that stayed over the guts of the plate. Toglia unloaded for a grand slam. Miller hid his frustration behind a stoic face.
So typically final yr, Miller endured begins like this, unable to construct upon his early-season momentum in what grew to become a forgettable marketing campaign.
Throughout that second-half stretch, Miller was dogged by a nagging knee concern. However wild command (he walked 30 batters in 56 innings on the season) and lack of execution together with his breaking pitches (highlighted by a .357 batting common towards his curveball) had been equally troublesome issues.
On Wednesday, they resurfaced once more.
An at-bat after Toglia’s grand slam, Miller fell behind Mickey Moniak by throwing two changeups that bounced to the backstop. Then, with Barnes holding his catcher’s mitt low within the zone, Miller fired a fastball that stayed up and over the plate. Moniak hit it the opposite means for a solo dwelling run. What had as soon as been a 7-1 lead was trimmed to 7-6.
Fortunately for Miller, the bullpen picked up the slack towards the woebegone Rockies (3-15) — together with three innings of one-run aid from swingman Ben Casparius, who offered a bridge to Alex Vesia and Tanner Scott to shut it out.
The Dodgers’ offense, in the meantime, offered simply sufficient respiration room with a fifth-inning RBI single from Pages.
The query now: What’s going to the Dodgers do subsequent Wednesday, when there’ll as soon as once more be a gap of their rotation?
Tommy Edman scores on a single by Andy Pages within the first inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)
Tony Gonsolin continues to be anticipated to make yet another triple-A rehab begin earlier than getting back from his again damage. Knack (who had a 7.27 ERA in three outings this yr) and Wrobleski (who yielded eight runs in his lone begin final week) have already been optioned.
Given Wednesday’s outcomes, Miller is likely to be dealing with the identical destiny.
Earlier than the sport, supervisor Dave Roberts had remained bullish on his long-term potential, reflecting again at the place he was one yr and three weeks earlier.
“He was just really thriving,” Roberts recalled. “As far as the upside potential, absolutely [it’s still there].”
Wednesday, nonetheless, was a reminder of how far he’s slipped making an attempt to succeed in it.
