Dodgers vs. Braves Tuesday MLB probable pitchers, odds: Top L.A. pitching prospect Bobby Miller set for big-league debut with team set as biggest underdog in years

Instead of spending tens of millions of dollars in free agency this past winter, the Dodgers instead decided to try and depend on their impressively deep farm system to fill holes where needed. Los Angeles is in its usual spot atop the NL West but has some major injury issues in the rotation, which will lead Tuesday night to the big-league debut of touted prospect Bobby Miller in Atlanta. There are no props available for Miller, and the Dodgers are +175 underdogs at Caesars Sportsbook against NL Cy Young contender Spencer Strider.

Currently on the injured list for L.A. are starting pitchers Julio Urias, Dustin May and Walker Buehler, with the former two landing on the IL recently and Buehler not having pitched this season and not expected back in the Show until September as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Michael Grove and Ryan Pepiot are also hurt.

MLB.com ranks the 6-foot-5 Miller, a right-hander, as the No. 19 overall prospect in the sport with an overall grade of 60 on a scale of 20-80 and a fastball grade of 70 – Dodgers officials call his fastball "Bobby 100." Miller was the 29th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Louisville.

The 24-year-old was sidelined due to shoulder soreness at the start of the season but made his 2023 debut on April 29 with Triple-A Oklahoma City and fired eight pitches at or over 100 mph. Overall, Miller was 1-1 with a 5.65 ERA at Triple-A Oklahoma City in four starts this year and 10-10 with a 3.79 ERA in 183.0 career minor-league innings. Batters hit only .212 against him.

"Skill-set-wise, there's a lot of talent," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Miller, whose starting plans beyond this game may depend on whether Urias is ready to return to action as expected when his 15-day IL stint is up.

Miller, who didn't pitch in any Cactus League action this year, will become the organization's seventh homegrown rookie to log big-league service this season, and the third to make his major-league debut. He is +7500 at Caesars to win NL Rookie of the Year. Dodgers outfielder James Outman is the +150 favorite. 

Props aren't available for Miller's start because the sportsbooks aren't sure how long he will be out there.

Strider (4-2, 2.96) is set at over/under 8.5 strikeouts. He's struck out at least seven in every start this year. The right-hander threw six shutout innings in his lone start vs. L.A. last year.

It's the first time Los Angeles is at least a +170 underdog since it was +195 at Washington on May 19, 2018 -- a game the Dodgers won 5-4.

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