Matt Sauer, who pitched three innings in relief on Friday night, was optioned to Oklahoma City on Saturday
It was inevitable that after the Dodgers all but emptied their bullpen in Friday’s rain-interrupted marathon contest they would need to add a pitcher to provide potential coverage for the staff. That move was calling up Bobby Miller from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday.
He was slated to start for the Comets on Saturday, but is in New York instead.
You might ask how can a pitching staff be so burdened only one game into a road trip, after an off day Thursday. For one, the Dodgers pitching corps is always taxed, by nature of how aggressively they use the bullpen, and by how few innings their starting rotation have pitched, creating a perpetual loop that feeds on itself.
But also, Friday’s series opener against the Mets was the literal perfect storm of circumstances to nearly fully exhaust all other options. Rain delayed the game in the third inning, and after a wait of one hour, 38 minutes, neither starting pitcher remained in the game. That left a ton of outs required by both bullpens, which was exacerbated by the two teams tying for the longest game played in 2025, at 13 innings.
The Mets used all eight relievers on Friday, and the Dodgers used seven — everybody but left-hander Jack Dreyer.
Matt Sauer pitched three innings, as did Ben Casparius, who has been invaluable to this taxed pitching staff. Luis García got the final seven outs to close out the win. Tanner Scott, who blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning, pitched in three of the last four days. That’s at least those four pitchers unavailable for Saturday, and most likely Sunday as well.
Miller had a disastrous start in his only game with the Dodgers this season, allowing six runs in three innings on April 16, and has struggled in Triple-A with nearly as many walks (29) as strikeouts (31) in his 35 innings with a 4.63 ERA. But Miller was also the only healthy, available, and rested pitcher remaining on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, having last pitched Sunday. That was his best start of the season, with six scoreless innings on two hits and four walks with seven strikeouts.
That’s seven strikeouts in six scoreless innings for Bobby Miller pic.twitter.com/wYLC6e3oSw
— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) May 18, 2025
The Dodgers needed a fresh arm, and Miller is the freshest one they have.
It’s a tough-luck option for Sauer, who has filled in admirably in a bulk role for nearly four weeks, with a 3.05 ERA and 3.14 xERA on the season in 20⅔ innings spread over seven appearances. The right-hander notched his first major league win on April 29, then earned his first major league save eight days later.
With four high-leverage right-handers on the injured list, the Dodgers have a need for right-handed relievers. Sauer has options, while veterans García and Lou Trivino don’t.