Los Angeles Dodgers’ Rotation Faces Another Blow, Bobby Miller Joins Growing Injured List

The pitching woes for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ deepened on Saturday. The news of the young starter Bobby Miller headed to the injured list with right shoulder inflammation has pretty much shaken the Blue Crew. Well, this latest setback appends Miller’s name to an already crowded list of injured Dodgers pitchers. Now comes the real concern – What happens to the team’s pitching depth this season? 

Miller, who was once a beacon of hope for the pitching rotation, is now battling inconsistency despite a dominant debut. Following a classy first outing, he grappled with his last two starts. Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the dip. His words were, “The shoulder hasn’t been recovering as well as the team had hoped.”  So what’s next for this pitcher? 

An unprecedented problem befalls the Los Angeles Dodgers 

Though tests have revealed that there has been no structural damage, the inflammation calls for a stint on the IL as a precautionary measure. That said, it is to note that this isn’t Miller’s first brush with shoulder trouble. He had dealt with problems along the same lines in spring training last year. This forced him to miss out on valuable development time. Now, although, the Dodgers are understandably cautious, they want to “nip it early” to avoid a serious injury later on during the season.

Temporarily losing Miller, though for a short period, blows significantly to the Dodgers’ already depleted rotation. Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, and Walker Buehler too are currently sidelined with a multitude of injuries. On one hand, Buehler was an expected potential option after a successful rehab start. On the other, he was limited only to two innings after taking a line drive to the hand.

The Dodgers Must Fill the Gap With Some Patchwork In the Rotation 

Now that Miller is out, the Dodgers rely on a patchwork rotation. This consists of Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton, Gavin Stone, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The right-hander Ryan Yarbrough, the most seasoned ace in the bullpen, turns out to be the most likely candidate to cover for Miller. He could potentially be pitching behind an opener. 

The Dodgers, which is a team built upon pitching superiority, is scrambling for solutions. Miller’s injury adds another layer of uncertainty to their season. There’s hope that his absence will be brief, but the team’s depth and resilience could be seriously tested in the upcoming weeks.