McHenry graduate Bobby Miller has shaky 2025 debut with Dodgers

McHenry graduate Bobby Miller made his 2025 debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles with mixed results. Miller struck out seven in three innings but allowed six runs on eight hits, including two home runs and a walk.

Miller struck out three batters in the top of the first and was staked to a 7-1 lead after the Dodgers scored seven runs in the bottom half. After a scoreless second, the right-handed Miller ran into trouble in the third.

Michael Toglia hit a grand slam with one out, followed by a solo homer by Mickey Moniak. Miller completed the third before leaving the game with a 7-6 lead. The Dodgers went on to win 8-7.

Rockies right fielder Nick Martini, a Prairie Ridge grad, singled off Miller to lead off the game. He finished the night 2 for 4 with two runs scored to raise his batting average to .325.

Miller, 26, was making his first start of the season for the Dodgers after starting the year in Triple-A Oklahoma City. Miller has now made 36 starts at the big-league level, recording a 5.45 ERA and 178 strikeouts over 183⅓ innings. That included an electric debut in 2023 in which Miller went 11-4 with a 3.76 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 124⅓ innings.

The Dodgers announced Thursday they optioned Miller back to Oklahoma City.

Miller entered the season in the mix for a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation, but during his first start of spring training he was hit in the head by a line drive and had to leave the game.

Miller was the 2017 Northwest Herald Baseball Player of the Year and taken 29th overall by the Dodgers in the 2020 MLB First-Year Player Draft. He played three seasons at Louisville after high school.