Young Dodgers starter exits spring training debut after line drive off head

The Dodgers were cruising through the first two innings of their spring opener against the Cubs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto had pitched a nice 1 2/3 innings to kick things off — they weren't entirely clean after he gave up three hits, but he didn't allow a run — and minor league pitcher Ryan Sublette came in to finish off the top of the second.

New Dodgers minor league signing Eddie Rosario cracked a two-run homer in the bottom of the second to get the Dodgers on the board, and Cubs starter Cody Poteet was quickly yanked from the game after he gave up a single, then a double, then allowed a third run to score on a wild pitch to Dalton Rushing.

Bobby Miller took to the mound after Sublette for his first appearance of the spring, and with a lot to prove. Miller is in the running for the last spot in the Dodgers rotation, and he's on the back foot after struggling throughout almost all of 2024.

It didn't exactly start off nicely — he walked the leadoff batter Vidal Bruján, who then stole second — but it quickly got uglier. With former Dodger Michael Busch batting, Miller got to a 2-1 count before throwing a curveball that Busch smacked at 105.5 MPH, straight back to the mound.

Miller went down quickly after the ball hit him square on the forehead, but he was able to walk off of the field on his own power.

Bobby Miller takes nasty comebacker to the head in first appearance of Dodgers' spring training

Miller was immediately attended to by Dodgers trainers (and a run scored on what was ruled as an RBI single for Busch) and appeared to be in a lot of pain, which is to be expected. He already had the beginnings of a nasty bruise on the right side of his forehead, but it is encouraging that he was able to take himself out.

It's definitely not what Miller or the Dodgers want for a guy who definitely still has a shot at cracking the rotation again, depending on how Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May fare throughout the rest of camp. All three have a lot to prove, but Miller must be hungry after pitching to a 8.52 ERA in 2024 and being demoted multiple times.

An injury update is sure to follow after the game, but fingers are crossed that this won't be a severe setback for Miller.