The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a state of flux with their starting rotation, being without a number of arms including Bobby Miller, who has since been optioned to Triple-A for a reset.
The beginning of his 2024 campaign had a fair amount of optimism behind it, but Miller dealt with shoulder inflammation that kept him out for two months. In his return, he posted a 9.87 ERA in four starts, showing a clear lack of command and feel for his entire arsenal.
His advanced metrics are a complete flip from his stellar 2023 rookie season, coming at a time when the Dodgers clearly need productive arms. The coaching staff believes they have identified his issues, citing some things with his mechanics, per Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
“I think it might be more on the delivery side of it, where we can tap into more velocity and commanding of the baseball,” Roberts said.
There’s currently no timetable for when he’ll be back with the team, but as long as he’s prepared for the latter stages of the year, he’s in a good space.
Miller has vowed to do his best to bounce back from this current spot, which is at a low point for how high his ceiling is as a power, right-handed pitcher.
The Dodgers were fortunate to acquire Jack Flaherty ahead of the deadline, taking some pressure off the club to fix Miller, but the rotation still could use reinforcements down the stretch.
How will Bobby Miller respond the rest of the season?
His step back is similar to what Gavin Stone had in 2023, in terms of results, that is. Miller is also coming off a shoulder issue which could be impacting his feel for the baseball, but he could simply be out of sync with his mechanics.
Miller was expected to be one of the Dodgers’ front-end arms, but now that appears to be in the balance, depending on how he comes back. If all things click in the way that the team’s player development can push them, he’ll be pitching in a playoff game.
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