Dodgers right-hander faced only two batters in his 2025 Cactus League debut. A 105.5-mph line drive hit Miller in the head and ricocheted behind first base in the third inning.
Dodgers pitcher Bobby Miller was hit in the hit be a line drive in the third inning, and left the game, walking off the field under his own power. Manager Dave Roberts said after the game Miller was placed in concussion protocol.
Miller was the third Dodgers pitcher in their Cactus League opener agains the Cubs, and started his outing to open the third inning. After walking Vidal Bruján on seven pitches, former teammate Michael Busch hit a ball that ricocheted off Miller’s head into foul territory behind first base. The line drive was measured by Statcast with a 105.5-mph exit velocity.
Bobby Miller was hit in the head by a comebacker, he exits the game in the 3rd inning but walked off under his own power. pic.twitter.com/0jGKQpp1vx
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) February 20, 2025
After being down on the grass in front of the mound for a few moments, Miller was able to walk into the dugout under his own power, as he was removed from the game. Several minutes later, before the bottom half of the third inning, Miller walked back to the clubhouse.
“Certainly it was a very scary moment. From what I’ve gathered he’s going to be under concussion protocol. We’ll keep an eye on him tonight. I don’t know that that means going forward,” Roberts told reporters after the game, as shown on SportsNet LA. “We’ve got to make sure he’s okay going forward.”
Scary moment today for everyone involved today including catcher, Hunter Feduccia.
Feduccia said Bobby Miller “seemed responsive” when he was on the ground and answered all the trainers questions accurately. #Dodgers
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) February 20, 2025
Per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, third baseman Max Muncy said Miller seemed alert after getting hit in the head: “When the trainer came out and asked him if he knew where he was, he made a little joke about hanging a curveball.”
Later Thursday evening Miller tweeted, “Thank you to everyone who has reached out. Really means a lot. Scary moment I’m good! All praise to the man above can’t wait to get back on the mound.”
A shoulder injury sidelined Miller for three months in 2024, and he later tweaked his left knee after coming back. In all, he struggled mightily with an 8.52 ERA in 13 starts in the majors. Optimism ran high that Miller, now healthy in camp, would have a bounce-back season in 2025.
From Sonja Chen at MLB.com on Sunday:
“It was obviously a rough year, but I saw what I was able to do as a rookie, so that’s the bright side,” Miller said. “Another bright side is it can’t get much worse than what it was last year. But as of right now, I’m feeling in a way better spot than I was last year. Physically, I feel more ready than ever.”