Top Dodger pitching prospects Gavin Stone, Bobby Miller to start against Braves

The Dodgers promised a youth movement this season.

This week in Atlanta, it’s about to take center stage.

After recent injuries to Dustin May (forearm strain) and Julio Urías (hamstring strain), the Dodgers are planning to start top pitching prospects Gavin Stone and Bobby Miller against the Braves on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

Manager Dave Roberts confirmed Stone will pitch the series opener, in what will be the second major league start this season for the former fifth-round draft pick.

Miller, a former first-round pick and the No. 2 ranked prospect in the club’s farm system by MLB Pipeline, will make his MLB debut Tuesday, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation unauthorized to speak publicly.

“There’s certainly maybe softer landing [spots for young pitchers],” Roberts said of the prospects’ upcoming road tests against the first-place Braves. “But it’s a good test.”

Stone made his MLB debut May 3, giving up five runs (four earned) in four innings against the Philadelphia Phillies.

In his two triple A starts since then, he’s given up just two in 11 total innings, his two best minor-league starts of the year.

And when he returns to the majors this time, he will get at least three starts — and potentially several more — as the de facto replacement for May, who is expected to miss five to seven weeks with his flexor pronator strain.

“The unfamiliarity of [the big leagues], the novelty of it, he’s already done that,” Roberts said, voicing confidence that Stone will look sharper in his MLB encore. “Also, I think he’s throwing the baseball better in general. The changeup is better. The fastball command is better. So I just think that second time around, he’ll be a lot more comfortable than he was the first time.”

Miller presents more of an unknown.

Dodgers pitcher Bobby Miller throws to the plate during the first inning of a spring training game on April 5, 2022, at Dodger Stadium.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

The 24-year-old right-hander has long been hailed as having the best stuff of any Dodgers minor-league pitcher, coupling a triple-digit fastball with a slider, sinker, changeup and curveball.

However, he has struggled with inconsistent command at times in his pro career, and this spring experienced some shoulder discomfort that delayed the start of his triple A season by a month.

Miller was ineffective in his first three minor-league starts this year, giving up 12 runs (eight earned) in his first 8 ⅓ innings of the season. He bounced back last week, though, giving up just one run in a six-inning, six-strikeout gem that flashed his highly anticipated potential.

“Skill set-wise, there’s a lot of talent,” Roberts said.