Dodgers’ Bobby Miller Making Major Strides Toward Rehab Assignment
Bobby Miller’s career with the Los Angeles Dodgers got off to a promising start a year ago, when he went 11-4 with a 3.76 ERA, helping stabilize a shaky starting rotation.
By comparison, Miller’s 2024 season has begun with disappointment.
Miller tossed six shutout innings in his March 29 debut at home against the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing only two hits, one walk, and striking out 11 batters. Miller then labored through his next two starts, in Chicago and Minneapolis, respectively, allowing seven runs across 5.2 combined innings.
The April 10 start against the Twins was the last time the Dodgers saw Miller on a big league mound. A shoulder injury promptly sent him to the injured list, and nearly a month later he’s been relegated to rehab routines while the Dodgers surged in the standings.
Against this backdrop, any good news for Miller would come as a welcome development. Tuesday, manager Dave Roberts made it sound as if a minor league rehabilitation assignment would come sooner rather than later for the 25-year-old:
“He’s on his way out soon to do a rehab assignment,” Roberts said. “It’s coming. I don’t know when but from everything I’ve seen, it’s coming pretty quickly, which is really encouraging.”
Roberts said Miller would need only one more bullpen session this week before he can be sent out to an affiliate. Triple-A Oklahoma City is in California for six games from May 14-19 against the Sacramento River Cats, which could make for the most logical target.
How many rehab starts will Miller need?
“I can’t speak to that right now,” Roberts said. “I think we’ll know once he goes out. My assumption is it’ll be more than one, but I don’t want to be quoted on that one.”
By the time Miller has made even one rehab start, more than a month will have passed since his last game action. In order to get Miller to the 80-pitch threshold Roberts mentioned, it makes sense for him to make two or more rehab starts. That would push his return to the end of May, at the earliest.
The Dodgers’ rotation has capably held down the fort in Miller’s absence. Since the April 10 game against the Twins, the Dodgers are 14-8 — the second-best record in the National League. Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, James Paxton, Gavin Stone and Walker Buehler have made for a strong starting five. Who will move out to make room for Miller is, for now, a good problem to have.
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, livestreams, and more!
