It looked heading into 2024 like Bobby Miller would be a key factor of the Dodgers rotation. After some struggles to start the season he was sent to Triple-A where things aren't going well either.
Miller in 2023 posted a 3.76 ERA in 22 starts and 124.1 innings as a rookie. He posted a 6.3 percent walk rate and a 23.6 percent strikeout rate. Opponents hit just .226 against him. This season his ERA inflated to 8.07 in 29.0 innings across seven starts. His walk rate jumped to 13.5 and his strikeout rate dipped to 20.3, while opponents hit .304 against him.
It made sense for the Dodgers to send him down given those trends, but his start in Triple-A on Saturday is an indicator things aren't trending the right way.
Miller completed just 3.2 innings and allowed six runs (five earned) with three walks and only one strikeout (h/t Eric Stephen).
This has been part of a troubling trend for the 25-year-old. In three Triple-A starts leading into Saturday night, Miller was walking more batters than he did in the Majors and striking out fewer. He had a 3.95 ERA in 13.2 innings. Those numbers won't improve with Saturday's debacle.
The idea of Miller making big-time contributions in 2024 should probably go out the window. He's still young enough to be a factor down the road, so the focus should be on getting him right for next year because whatever's happening this year clearly isn't going away.
