'Got to get him right': Roberts addresses Miller's demotion

PHILADELPHIA -- A day after the worst start of his young career, the Dodgers decided to option right-hander Bobby Miller to the Minors in hopes that it serves as a much-needed reset for the 25-year-old.

“We've got to get him right,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “That’s the impetus. And what’s the best way to get him right mentally, emotionally and mechanically. … We just felt this was the best thing for Bobby and for us. He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do this year, so we just felt that’s the best thing to do.”

Miller won’t report to a Minor League team immediately. Instead, he'll work out with Rob Hill, the Dodgers’ director of pitching. The two have a strong relationship, according to Roberts, and the hope is that the right-hander can figure out his mechanics. As of now, however, the club can’t pinpoint exactly what has eluded Miller so far this season.

“I’m trying everything I can,” Miller said after his start on Tuesday. “Shoulder is strong right now, so it’s probably just mechanics. It’s a little bit of everything. I’m still trying to figure that out.”

Roberts said the struggles were “taking a toll” on Miller this season. After missing two months with a right shoulder injury, Miller has not found any consistency on the mound since returning. His worst start came on Tuesday against the Phillies, when he allowed nine runs over four innings.

That outing ballooned his season ERA to 8.07. Given all of those struggles, the Dodgers felt it was best to option Miller without giving any timetable for his return.

“You can see the weight and the stress that he’s putting on himself,” Roberts said. “So I do think that getting him out of this environment is going to be beneficial. He’s going to come back reset, recharged and throwing the baseball the way we know he can.”

With Miller going to the Minors for at least a couple of weeks, the Dodgers’ rotation is as thin as it’s been all season. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler have all been on the IL for a month or longer. Buehler has no timetable for his return, while Yamamoto is expected to resume playing catch sometime this week. Kershaw is getting closer, as he’s scheduled to pitch three innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Then, there’s Glasnow, who will miss his next scheduled start after being placed on the IL with lower back tightness on Tuesday. That leaves Gavin Stone and James Paxton as the only two starters who have avoided the injured list this season.

Since June 16, the day after Yamamoto landed on the IL, Los Angeles' rotation has a 5.67 ERA, the worst in the National League during that span. With all their spending this offseason, the Dodgers never envisioned such a stretch.

“I know that winning baseball games -- sustaining winning -- stems and starts with starting pitching. That’s a fact,” Roberts said. “Clearly, we haven’t got the consistency out of that.”