Bobby Miller’s return to the Dodgers came with a jolt of reality, a little relief, and then another trip back to Triple-A.
After more than a year of battling a lingering shoulder injury, the right-hander finally got back on an MLB mound over the weekend and made the most of the opportunity in Los Angeles’ 7-5 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday. Miller worked three innings, allowed one hit and one earned run, and picked up his first win since August 2024.
It was the kind of outing that reminded the Dodgers what Miller looked like when he was rolling as a rookie. It was also the kind of performance that showed how much he had to fight just to get there.
“I give him a lot of credit for continuing to fight to be a part of this,” manager Dave Roberts said to reporters after the game. “He could have easily cashed in the season.
Coming out of spring training, he was hurt, and really never got any traction as far as health. And there was good, there was not good, and to continue to persevere - that says a lot about the character.”
Miller’s day started with some stress. He gave up a triple on the fourth pitch he threw and then allowed a run after hitting Dylan Crews. After that, though, he settled in and finished with three straight scoreless frames, including a clean seventh and eighth inning stretch where he retired the side in order.
By the end of it, Miller sounded like a pitcher who had spent plenty of time wondering whether this moment would even come back around.
“I’d say earlier this year, yeah,” Miller said when asked if he had doubts about returning to MLB. “But the way I started feeling lately, out of the ’pen with my last few outings in Triple-A, I really just started to have sort of like an ‘F it’ mentality out there.
Whatever happens, happens. Don’t pitch tense out there."
He made seven appearances at Triple-A Oklahoma City on his rehab assignment and posted a 3.86 ERA there. His call-up also came during a stretch of uncertainty on the Dodgers’ pitching staff, with the likelihood of Shohei Ohtani returning to the mound shrinking by the minute.
Miller’s big-league path has already had a wide range of results. He spent most of the 2023 and 2024 seasons on the Dodgers’ active roster, put up a 3.76 ERA as a rookie, then struggled badly in 2024 with an 8.52 ERA.
The Dodgers didn’t keep him around long after Sunday’s outing. Miller was optioned back to Triple-A on Monday, which means he’ll be in the minors for at least the next two weeks unless an injury opens a door sooner. A postseason roster spot looks unlikely, but Miller made it clear he’s grateful for any chance he gets.
"[The promotion] kind of caught me by surprise a little bit," Miller said on Sunday, "but any day to be in this locker room is truly a blessing with this team."
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