Bobby Miller missed a good portion of the early months of the regular season, returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation in mid-June after a bout with inflammation in his right shoulder.
The young right-hander has since struggled, providing the team with lackluster performances since coming off the injured list. Since June 19, Miller owns a 9.87 ERA, 7.96 FIP and a 2.08 WHIP.
Miller received some heavy critique from his manager after allowing nine runs to the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, an outing he vowed to rebound from, per Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
“It’s the worst start of my career,” Miller said. “But I’m just glad that’s over with. I’ll bounce back.”
He did turn in one strong outing this year, but it was the first start he’s made. Since then, it’s all been down hill.
Miller’s usage from last season compared to this year is flipped on its head. He’s gone from utilizing a five-pitch mix, to throwing 43.5% four-seam fastballs without much success.
Command issues have plagued him, forcing him into obvious counts, leading to a number of hard hits.
Much can be attributed to Miller’s late-start to the season, but his step back in velocity, feel, and plan of attack are all concerning markers.
Dodgers option Bobby Miller
The day after his poor outing, the Dodgers made the decision to option Miller to Triple-A Oklahoma City to work on his issues and reset over the All-Star break, so his bounce back will have to wait while he makes progress at a lower level.
It is expected Miller will make at least one start in the Minor Leagues in an attempt to get back on track, but the Dodgers are short on healthy rotation options, so they will need Miller to get back on track and return soon.
Currently, the Dodgers’ rotation consists of Gavin Stone, James Paxton, Landon Knack and Justin Wrobleski. Clayton Kershaw is set to resume his rehab assignment and could be an option in a few weeks, but for the meantime, the Dodgers will need to have another arm make their debut, or go through more bullpen games with an already overworked relief group.
Hopefully for Miller and the Dodgers, the Minor League assignment will help him get back on track because the organization needs him to. He entered the year with high expectations and figured to be an important part of their success.
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