10:12pm: Per Ardaya, Miller has undergone an MRI which revealed no structural damage to the righty’s shoulder. Meanwhile, Harris adds that while Miller has been shut down from throwing for the time being, the Dodgers are “hopeful” that he’ll be able to build up at a normal rate once he resumes throwing.
9:51pm: The Dodgers announced this evening that they’ve placed right-hander Bobby Miller on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Right-hander Connor Brogdon has also been placed on the 15-day IL due to plantar fasciitis in his foot. Right-hander J.P. Feyereisen and left-hander Nick Ramirez have been called up to take the duo’s places on the active roster.
The news comes on the heels of a difficult start to the season for Miller. While the 25-year-old struck out 11 Cardinals in six scoreless innings for his first start of the year, since then he’s allowed a whopping seven runs on nine hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings of work across a pair of starts against the Cubs and Twins. A timeline for Miller’s return to action is not yet clear, though Jack Harris of the L.A. Times reports that the inflammation in the young righty’s shoulder is not considered “severe” by the club, with Harris adding that there is no need for surgery as things stand.
While that reporting removes the most worrisome outcomes from the table for the time being, it’s nonetheless disheartening news for Dodgers fans. The club’s first-round pick in the 2020 draft, Miller quickly grew to be a consensus top-30 prospect in the sport and impressed during his rookie season with a 3.76 ERA and 3.51 FIP across 22 starts with L.A. last year. Though he just celebrated his 25th birthday earlier this month, Miller already entered the season as a potential cornerstone for the Dodgers’ rotation alongside the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow.
Those plans have now clearly been scuttled, at least for the time being, and the Dodgers will have to sort through their rotation options in order to replace Miller for what could prove to be an extended absence. With Gavin Stone already in the club’s starting five alongside Glasnow, Yamamoto, and James Paxton, right-hander Walker Buehler may spring to mind as the obvious candidate to take Miller’s spot in the rotation. After all, the 29-year-old righty was long one of the most effective pitchers in the sport and has already begun a rehab assignment as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery.
Unfortunately, it’s unclear how realistic an option Buehler is in the short term. As The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reported last night, Buehler’s most recent rehab outing was cut short after the righty took a comebacker off his pitching hand. David Vassegh of Sportsnet LA relays that manager Dave Roberts has indicated Buehler is “fine” following the incident and should be ready to make his next rehab start, but the abbreviated outing last night could extend Buehler’s time away from the club long enough for the Dodgers to need an interim option. Right-handers Kyle Hurt and Landon Knack are among the arms who the club could rely on to make a spot start or two while Buehler completes his rehab.
As for Brogdon, the right-hander hits the shelf just one week after the Dodgers acquired him from the Phillies in exchange for minor league lefty Benony Robles. Brogdon has made just one appearance in a Dodgers uniform to this point, allowing two runs on two hits in an inning of work against the Twins during which he did not record any walks or strikeouts. With Brogdon headed to the injured list and Miller’s replacement in the club’s rotation not yet needed on the roster, the Dodgers bullpen receives a pair of reinforcements in the form of Feyereisen and Ramirez.
Feyereisen, 31, joined the Dodgers during the 2022-23 offseason in a trade with the Rays after he had already undergone shoulder surgery that would end up keeping him from pitching at all in 2023. He made his Dodgers debut during the Seoul Series against the Padres but struggled, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk while striking out one in a single inning of work. That rough performance was enough for the Dodgers to leave Feyereisen off their stateside Opening Day roster, though now he’ll get another opportunity with the big league club.
As for Ramirez, the Dodgers acquired the lefty this past winter in a cash deal with the Yankees earlier this month. The southpaw made his big league debut with the Tigers back in 2019 and posted middling during his first three seasons in the majors, pitching to a league average 4.55 ERA and 4.60 FIP in 110 2/3 innings of work split between Detroit and San Diego. Ramirez didn’t pitch in the majors during the 2022 season but resurfaced with the Yankees last year as a key contributor to the club’s bullpen with a 2.66 ERA and 2.94 FIP in 40 2/3 innings of work.
That made the southpaw something of a surprising cut from New York’s Opening Day roster, though the club ultimately decided to give his roster spot to fellow lefty Tanner Tully instead of retain him for the 2024 campaign. Now with the Dodgers, Ramirez figures to provide the club with a multi-inning option out of the bullpen while also giving the club an addition lefty to pair with Alex Vesia and Ryan Yarbrough.
Now Bobby Miller? This really sucks.
Not the High Life
I called miller getting injured his last start. It was cold and I had a bad feeling his muscles would cool and strain as a result since it was so cold on that road trip. Sucks
These flame throwers are always at risk for injuries. Body is not meant for pitchers throwing 95 mph, let alone 100 mph.
If giving up 7 runs in 5 2/3 innings is cause to put a pitcher on the IL, Houston’s starting rotation is in need of some physical exams.
Phillies should have just phantom ILed Brogdon TBH. But this IS certainly a phantom IL stint all thr way.
I would have thought a stiff neck after the first 2 batters homered off of him including a monster shot.
Walker Buehler will be ready in ten days. They’re going to like the way he looks.
Bobby! That boy ain’t right!
Not to worry. Charlie Freeman should be ready by 2042
6-8 weeks? Or more. No Dodgers pitcher ever comes back on time.
I clearly remember last year when Ryan Pepiot went on the IL in spring training with an oblique strain. He was finally activated 5 months later. Your are most on point with this comment.
I wonder if Shohei’s interpreter bet on this?
I hate the Dodgers!!
He’s hurt. Here comes surgery for another young stud.
Another guy who constantly throws very hard but has no understanding of how to pitch..
And this assessment comes from what, exactly?
@BlueSkies_LA
Watching him throw the ball. He throws very hard which is fine but he needs to learn to pitch the ball, which doesn’t include constantly throwing 98+ each time. Randy Johnson & Pedro Martinez knew that they could dial it up when they needed to but it didn’t make sense to pitch that way all the time.
Guy’s career is done.
That’s certainly…….a take
@UncommonSense
I’m an expert. I know what I’m doing…
One doesn’t root for injuries just to create opportunities, but I think Hurt will be good if he gets a chance. I hope the Dodgers just give him, Knack, or Ryan regular starts until Miller and Buehler are ready, rather that doing their usual too-cute roster juggling.
More pen games on tap….
Not Bobby Ice!!!
Every time a Dodgers pitcher gets injured they just plug in some other no name who tries harder and is good for some inexplicable magical reason.
….and now Emmett Sheehan has been shut down from throwing due to his forearm issue he’s been dealing with.
Got to bring back Orel Hershiser