Miller moved up in Dodgers' rotation: 'I'm ready to go'

March 25th, 2024

LOS ANGELES -- When the Dodgers resume their regular season, their rotation is going to line up slightly differently than it did in the Seoul Series.

Tyler Glasnow, L.A.’s Opening Day starter, will get the ball Thursday for the first of a four-game set against the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. But rather than Yoshinobu Yamamoto following as he did in Korea, it’ll be going on Friday, with Yamamoto pushed back to Saturday.

Manager Dave Roberts said the move was intended to get additional rest for Yamamoto, who’s making the transition from Nippon Professional Baseball; it also lines him up for an extra day off ahead of his next start, thanks to a travel day. The right-hander was hit hard in his MLB debut, although the Dodgers remain optimistic their $325 million man will continue making the adjustments necessary to thrive in his new league.

Miller, meanwhile, made his final preseason start on Sunday, pitching 4 2/3 scoreless innings in the exhibition Freeway Series-opening 5-3 win over the Angels at Dodger Stadium. He allowed four hits and a walk while striking out five, with 51 of his 80 pitches going for strikes.

“Threw a few too many pitches [more] than I wanted to in the amount of time that I was out there,” said Miller. “I'd like to be a little more efficient than that. But it's nice to get out of a couple of jams with runners in scoring position with less than two outs.”

It was a good end to an overall solid spring for Miller, who is coming off an impressive debut season and aiming to take the next step forward. Across three Cactus League starts, Miller allowed four earned runs in 8 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking two. He also struck out six over five innings of two-run ball in an exhibition game against Team Korea on Monday.

Most importantly, the fireballer’s trademark velocity was there throughout, with his four-seamer regularly registering in the high 90s and at times touching triple digits.

“I feel like I grew a lot this year compared to last year,” said Miller, who turns 25 on April 5. “There was one kind of rough start in there, but I'm taking the right steps to be where I need to be and I'm ready to go for the season.”

The Dodgers’ top pitching prospect entering 2023, Miller has an opportunity to establish himself as a key player in ‘24. Alongside offseason additions Glasnow and Yamamoto, Miller could serve as an anchor for the rotation, both as L.A. seeks its 11th NL West title in 12 seasons and as an impact arm in October -- one area where he struggled last year. Due to a bevy of injuries, Miller slotted in as the Dodgers’ No. 2 starter in the National League Division Series against the D-backs, but he lasted just 1 2/3 innings in his sole start, getting tagged for three earned runs.

But with a little more experience under his belt, there’s reason to believe that Miller can come close to his high ceiling in his sophomore campaign. It’s why so many consider him a candidate for a potential breakout season, and perhaps even a dark horse Cy Young Award contender.

“At times last year, I thought situations sped on him, but he’s just really come so far in managing his emotions and making pitches when he needs to make a pitch to get back into a count,” said Roberts. “And so he’s at the top of the list as far as growth from one year to the next.”

After Glasnow, Miller and Yamamoto, the rotation will be rounded out by Gavin Stone -- who won the job in Spring Training -- and free-agent signing James Paxton. Stone is slated for the Freeway Series middle game on Monday and Paxton for Tuesday’s finale, presumably lining them up for that order in the regular season.