Dodgers' Bobby Miller Resumes Quest For Rotation Spot at Triple-A

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jul 20, 2024

Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Bobby Miller will take the mound for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Baseball Club in Round Rock on Saturday night.

The minor league start is his first action in 11 days.

The Dodgers optioned Miller on July 10, one day after the worst start in his young career. He allowed nine runs in four innings against the National League-best Philadelphia Phillies and saw his earned run average balloon to 8.07.

Clayton Kershaw yesterday, Brusdar Graterol tomorrow. Bobby Miller is starting for OKC today. #Dodgers demoted him with an 8.07 ERA before the All-Star break with intention of getting him "right" before rejoining LA rotation

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) July 20, 2024

Miller's disaster in the City of Brotherly Love was his 19th run allowed in 17.1 innings in four starts since returning from missing 10 weeks with right shoulder inflammation. His demotion was unexpected but not unwarranted. He has been stumbling through the first half of the season searching for the form that earned him a starting job out of spring training.

Los Angeles wants its player development department to try to iron out his delivery to get him back at top form in time for a postseason run.

“You can see it taking a toll on him,” Roberts said of Miller’s struggles. “When I take him out of a game, you can just see the weight and the stress that he’s putting on himself. So I do think that getting him out of this environment is gonna be beneficial. He’s gonna come back reset, recharged, and throwing the baseball the way we know he can.”

Miller's minor league stint doesn't have a timetable. Roberts said the club will be looking for him to “finish off hitters when he has count leverage; command the baseball, certainly the fastball; and get his changeup back to being a swing-and-miss pitch.”

Hopefully, Miller can rediscover his game and get back to the pitcher he was last season because the Dodgers definitely need healthy starting pitchers.