PHOENIX — From top prospect to 11-game winner and postseason starter as a rookie to where he is now – it has not been the career trajectory Bobby Miller could have envisioned for himself.
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“Yeah. Obviously at times I wasn’t 100 percent (healthy),” Miller said on Tuesday at Chase Field, having made his way over from Camelback Ranch where he has been rehabbing a back injury. “It’s a learning process as well. There’s a lot to learn from the struggles that I had. I think I ended the season very well last year in the role that I was in (pitching in relief).
“But, yeah, I definitely look back and I see the success I had in the big leagues and the failures I had. That’s something everyone goes through in their careers. They go through setbacks and failures. Nothing is ever given. You never have a set-in-stone role on a team. There’s always someone coming for your spot, especially in this organization that’s super, super loaded top to bottom.”
The forgotten men on that roster – Miller, Ben Casparius, Gavin Stone and Landon Knack this time, all on the 60-day injured list and rehabbing at Camelback Ranch these days – checked in with the Dodgers playing in Phoenix this week.
For Miller, the fall from that 2023 debut has been painful. He had an 8.52 ERA in 13 starts with the Dodgers in 2024 before being demoted to Triple-A. He spent most of last season there and was moved to the bullpen.
He arrived at spring training this season dealing with recurring shoulder pain. By the end of spring training, though, he was shut down with a back injury.
“It was shoulder at first. I had some injections right before spring training,” Miller said. “It was pretty good. Then I had a setback with a back injury. But it’s all great right now. I haven’t had any setbacks since that. I’ve been getting stronger and stronger.”
Miller is five weeks into a throwing program and expects to start throwing off a mound for the first time this week.
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“Super confident about that,” Miller said. “In catch play, I’ve been focusing on command as best as I can. My stuff feels great. Last week has been bringing everything in instead of just fastball-changeup. I’m spinning everything now.
“Basically working on command as much as I can right now. I’ve had a lot of time to work on the things I need to work on. That’s a really good thing for me – even though I’m not on the field playing.”
While Miller has been trying to get his career back on track, a wave of pitching prospects has passed him by on the Dodgers’ starting pitcher depth chart. At this point, he might have to find his way back pitching out of the bullpen.
“I’m ready for whatever role,” Miller said. “Whatever gets me back to the big leagues and contributing to the team. That’s all I care about.”
EDMAN ACTION
Utility man Tommy Edman made his fifth start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on his rehab assignment on Tuesday. Edman has already played second base and center field. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Edman will also play third base and left field during his rehab assignment, which is expected to last the full three weeks.
ALSO
Third-base coach Dino Ebel left the team Tuesday in order to attend the high school graduation of his youngest son, Trey. Chris Woodward moved from first to third base and Pedro Montero stepped in to coach first base on Tuesday. Ebel is expected back with the team on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (RHP Shohei Ohtani, 5-2, 0.82 ERA) at Diamondbacks (RHP Zac Gallen, 3-4, 5.16 ERA), Wednesday, 6:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market only), 570 AM
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