Dodgers call up top prospect, plan to immediately toss him to wolves

With the Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation hit hard by injuries, the team is calling up top prospect Bobby Miller to start against the Atlanta Braves.

The Los Angeles Dodgers may be sitting in first place in the NL West as of Sunday, but the team has one area that is of obvious concern. That is the starting rotation. What was once a strength is now going through the ultimate test.

The Dodgers were already without Walker Buehler, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery. But then, they placed Dustin May on the 15-day injured list due to a right forearm strain. Then, they had to sideline Julio Urias due to a left hamstring strain.

With a huge series looming against the Atlanta Braves, the Dodgers are looking to their farm system for help. According to Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports and Stadium, the Dodgers are calling up top pitching prospect Bobby Miller, and he will start on Tuesday against the Braves.

Dodgers calling up top pitching prospect Bobby Miller

Miller was the 29th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Dodgers. In two years, Miller worked his way up from Single-A+ in 2021 to Triple-A in 2022.

Here is what MLB Pipeline has to say about what Miller brings to a starting rotation:

"“Miller throws exceptionally hard and maintains his velocity, parking at 97-99 mph for innings at a time and topping out at 101 with a running four-seamer — and he also can unveil a two-seamer that reaches triple digits. His upper-80s slider can climb to 92 mph and is a plus-plus weapon with two-plane depth at its best. His upper-80s changeup fades and sinks, giving him a third well above-average pitch at times, and his low-80s curveball is a solid fourth offering.”"

This season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Miller recorded a 5.65 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, 12 strikeouts, and six walks in 14.1 innings of work (four starts). In his last start on May 17 against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, Miller allowed just one run on two hits while recording six strikeouts and one walk in the 5-1 win.

Miller will be thrust into a tough matchup against a Braves team that has a cumulative .257 batting average, .334 on-base percentage, .461 slugging percentage, and .795 OPS. But, he has the chance to make a true statement against them in his very first MLB start.