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Dodgers' Dave Roberts Confirms New Role for Bobby Miller

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Griffin Goodwyn | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 3:20 PM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers appeared to have a top-of-the-rotation talent in Bobby Miller at the end of his debut season in 2023. Miller started 22 games for the club that year, generating 2.0 WAR ( according to Baseball Reference) and pitching to an 11-4 record, 3.76 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 124.1 innings pitched.

Miller's major-league career has gone straight downhill since.

Last year, Miller battled through injuries and multiple demotions to the minor leagues but still lacked productivity in his outings. His ERA and WHIP skyrocketed to 8.52 and 1.77, respectively, and he allowed opposing batters to hit .330 against him.

He has spent much of the 2025 campaign with the Dodger's Triple-A affiliate, the Oklahoma City Comets, and struggled to produce at that level, as well. Through 16 appearances (including 14 starts), Miller's ERA sits at 5.58, his WHIP remains high at 1.63, and he has nearly as many walks (49) as he does strikeouts (57).

The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya reported on Saturday night that the Dodgers had seen enough from Miller's lack of success over the past two seasons that it warranted a drastic change: moving him from the starting rotation to the bullpen . Manager Dave Roberts confirmed that report, as well as the fact that this transition will happen in the minors, on Sunday.

"I think that this might be something that unlocks him," Roberts said, via Ardaya. "Going hard for a shorter period of time, to get some confidence for him, which could help us here."

The move provides the franchise the opportunity to revitalize a player who, at one point, was its top pitching prospect . And it makes more sense given the plethora of arms the Dodgers already possess in their starting rotation – including Shohei Ohtani, who is returning to form as a two-way player – and the team's need to upgrade its bullpen arsenal.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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