Getting nailed in the head by a line drive couldn’t even shake Bobby Miller’s spirit.
Miller was smacked by a 106 mph line drive off the bat of Michael Busch during the top of the third inning of Thursday’s Cactus League opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. He had thrown a breaking ball to Busch that got sent right back to him and hit him on the top left side of his head. Miller went to the ground immediately in pain, and his hat came off.
Here is another angle, which showed Miller going down as if he had been shot.
Miller was able to walk off the field on his own despite being hit. Not only that, but he was still “with it” after being nailed. According to Dodgers teammate Max Muncy, Miller joked that he had hung a curveball to Busch.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game that Miller was in concussion protocol.
“From what I’ve gathered, he’s going to be under concussion protocol. We’ll keep an eye on him tonight,” Roberts said.
Miller was the third Dodgers pitcher to appear in the spring training game, but his appearance was brief as Busch was just the second batter he had faced. The 25-year-old had a promising 2023 season in which he went 11-4 with a 3.76 ERA, but he fell off last season and went just 2-4 with an 8.52 ERA.
