Miller (concussion protocol) avoids fracture, 'in good spirits' after liner to head
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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Dodgers right-hander Bobby Miller came out of his scary injury Thursday with a headache but no fractured bones, manager Dave Roberts said.
¡°He certainly escaped¡± a more serious injury, Roberts said, ¡°in a lot of ways.
¡°He said, in his words, ¡®I¡¯ve got a hard head.¡¯¡±
Miller remained in concussion protocol after being struck in the right side of his head by a Michael Busch line drive in his Cactus League debut Thursday in the Dodgers¡¯ 12-4 loss to the Cubs, but Roberts said all signs are positive.
¡°He was certainly in good spirits,¡± Roberts said after speaking to Miller on Friday morning. ¡°There¡¯s no fracture. He slept fine. He feels much better today than he did yesterday. Today is sort of lay low.
¡°He feels very confident that he can pick up his throwing program soon. He just has to keep going through concussion protocol just to make sure we stay on the right track.¡±
There will be no plan on Miller¡¯s next steps until he clears the concussion protocol, Roberts said.
Miller was struck on his 11th and final pitch. Busch¡¯s ball was tracked at 105.5 mph off the bat, and Miller¡¯s hat was knocked off as he fell to the ground. He reported no bruising Friday.
Although Miller was on his knees briefly when a Dodgers trainer came out to check on him, he was able to walk off the field under his own power. That, as well as his demeanor during the trainer visit, reassured third baseman Max Muncy that the injury might not be too serious.
"It's always very terrifying and frightening," Muncy said. "Thankfully, he seems like he was OK. When the trainer came out, asked him if he knew where he was, he made a little joke about hanging a curveball. Right then, you kind of knew he was fine."
Miller, 25, looks to put a disappointing 2024 campaign behind him, and he's in the mix for the last spot in the Dodgers' rotation.
"Scary moment, for sure. You never, never want that to happen to, really, anybody,¡± said Busch, who came up with the Dodgers before he was traded to the Cubs last offseason. ¡°And just knowing Bobby and the guy he is, how hard he works, the competitor he is -- we spent a little bit of time together for a few years -- yeah, super scary moment. I was just praying for him on the field.
¡°Hopefully he's healthy, and I'm just going to continue to pray for him and continue to hope that he trends in the right direction."