The Dodgers added a pair of right-handed pitchers to the active roster on Saturday, promoting Bobby Miller from Triple-A Oklahoma City and activating Ryan Brasier from the 60-day injured list. To free up space on the 26-man roster, right-hander Michael Grove and left-hander Justin Wrobleski were optioned to Triple-A. The Dodgers already had an open spot on the 40-man after designating Amed Rosario for assignment on Monday.
Miller, 25, has had a rough go of it in his sophomore season. After pitching to a 3.76 ERA and 3.93 SIERA in his rookie campaign, the righty had mixed results over his first three starts in 2024, putting up a 5.40 ERA and 3.22 SIERA in 11 2/3 innings pitched. He then spent the next two months on the IL with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Miller returned to the mound in mid-June but struggled tremendously over his next four outings, giving up 19 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings (9.87 ERA). He struck out only nine, walked 12 and allowed five home runs (at least one in all four starts). His fastball velocity was also significantly slower; his four-seam averaged 99 mph in 2023, 98.3 mph over his first three starts in 2024 and just 96.8 mph in his last four starts before his demotion. Following what was arguably the worst start of his big league career (4 IP, 9 ER against the Phillies on July 9), he was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Unfortunately, Miller hasn’t looked much sharper at Triple-A. In three starts after being sent down, he gave up nine runs (eight earned) on 11 hits with matching 18.3 percent strikeout and walk rates. He has not regained any of his missing fastball velocity either; his four-seam averaged 96.5 mph in his latest Triple-A outing on Aug. 9. That being said, the Dodgers might simply have run out of other options for the starting rotation. Earlier this week, the team announced that top prospect River Ryan would undergo Tommy John surgery and ace Tyler Glasnow would hit the 15-day IL with elbow tendinitis. Wrobleski started on Friday and Landon Knack was optioned after pitching four innings in relief on Tuesday. Miller is the only other healthy starter on the 40-man roster.
Wrobleski collected the win against the Cardinals on Friday, but the 24-year-old didn’t exactly look sharp. He gave up four runs on three homers in five innings of work, striking out three and walking two. The southpaw has a 4.68 ERA and 5.14 SIERA in 25 big league innings this year to go with a 5.23 ERA and 5.03 FIP in four starts at Triple-A Oklahoma.
Thus, Miller will take the ball in Saturday's Players’ Weekend contest against the Cardinals. Barring a particularly poor performance, he could remain in the rotation until Glasnow is ready to return. The All-Star right-hander likely won’t miss much time with Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reporting that Glasnow “feels fine” and did not even want to go on the IL in the first place. His IL placement is retroactive to Aug. 13 so he will be eligible to come back to the team on Aug. 28.
Meanwhile, Brasier will return to pitch out of the Dodgers bullpen for the first time since April. He has been out for nearly four months nursing a right calf strain. Although his early season performance was uninspiring (4.63 ERA in 12 games), the 36-year-old was dominant for the Dodgers after they acquired him last season (0.70 ERA in 79 games), and the team will hope he can contribute in the late innings down the stretch. Despite his mediocre ERA, he pitched to a 3.21 SIERA in April, almost identical to his 3.29 SIERA with L.A. in 2023. On top of that, he looked sharp against minor league competition during his Triple-A rehab stint, tossing eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts and only one walk. What’s more, his average velocity was up on both his four-seam and sinker compared to his radar gun readings in April.
Grove, 27, has a 5.18 ERA in 33 appearances for the Dodgers this year. However, his 3.20 SIERA is much more promising and he will head to Triple-A to wait in the wings as additional bullpen depth. Despite his unsightly ERA, he has looked like a solid multi-inning reliever when he’s taken the mound for the Dodgers this year. Yet, considering his mixed results (including a poor outing on Friday) and his optionability, it comes as little surprise that the Dodgers chose to send Grove down to make room for Brasier in the bullpen.
