The Los Angeles Dodgers placed Shelby Miller on the 15-day injured list due to neck pain prior to their series finale with the Los Angeles Angels.
Miller recently spent some time on the bereavement list and wound up not being available the night he was activated because of what Dodgers manager Dave Roberts described as a “neck situation.”
The issue was lingering while Miller was away from the team and it’s also something he dealt with earlier in his career.
“It’s something he’s dealt with,” Roberts said. “I don’t think anyone appreciated the extent of it. It’s going to take him out for quite some time, for weeks.
“I’m just amazed at how he still could perform with that. It’s an older injury that sort of showed its head again, so it’ll certainly be three or four weeks before we see him again, as the floor.”
Miller underwent a scan for the neck injury, but Roberts was not aware of the exact diagnosis. Regardless of what the issue is, Miller will be out for roughly a month, if not longer.
“I think it’s two weeks without throwing,” Roberts said. “So to get back with us, it’s at least three to four weeks.”
The three-to-four-week timeline also assumes Miller heals as expected and doesn’t suffer any setbacks during his rehab process. It’s possible the 32-year-old misses a larger portion of the season.
Miller last pitched against the Chicago White Sox on June 15 when he completed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Overall in his first season with the Dodgers, the right-hander is 1-0 with one save, a 2.40 ERA, 4.51 FIP and 1.00 WHIP across 25 appearances.
Michael Grove recalled to replace Shelby Miller
The Dodgers recalled Michael Grove from Triple-A Oklahoma City as the corresponding move when Miller was placed on the IL.
Grove was optioned on June 21 in order for the Dodgers to call up Emmet Sheehan, who made his MLB debut that night against the San Francisco Giants.
Despite being optioned, Grove stayed with the Dodgers as part of their taxi squad. He is 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA and 1.60 WHIP across seven games (six starts) for the Dodgers this season.
Grove was originally expected to start in the Freeway Series finale but the Dodgers instead went with a bullpen game.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
