Shelby Miller shifts minor league rehab to Triple-A Oklahoma City

LOS ANGELES — Dodgers pitcher Shelby Miller moved his minor league rehab assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City as the right-hander makes his way back from a herniated disc in his neck that has sidelined him for two months.

Miller is expected to pitch for Oklahoma City on Wednesday, as noted team broadcaster Alex Freedman.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn’t have exact timetable for Miller’s return, but said he’ll pitch at least two or three outings in Triple-A, including pitching on back-to-back days.

“Then we’ll kind of see where we’re at with the roster, and see how he feels,” Roberts said.

Because Miller is on the 60-day injured list, the Dodgers would need a corresponding roster move to add him back to the 40-man roster. His earliest eligible return date is Sunday.

The Dodgers could use another right-hander in the bullpen, with Joe Kelly (August 25) and Yency Almonte (August 27) ineligible to return from the injured list until late next week at the earliest. On Tuesday the Dodgers called up Gus Varland from Triple-A Oklahoma City, giving them four right-handers in a bullpen that also has left-handers Caleb Ferguson, Alex Vesia, Ryan Yarbrough, and Victor González.

Miller has a 2.40 ERA and 4.26 xERA in 25 games for the Dodgers this season, with 31 strikeouts and 18 walks in 30 innings. He held right-handers to hitting just .115/.220/.212. But he last pitched in the majors on June 15, before landing on the injured list.

He pitched in three games in the Arizona Complex League, starting his minor league rehab assignment on August 5. The first two outings were scoreless, then he allowed a pair of unearned runs with two walks on Saturday. All eight of his outs record in Arizona were strikeouts.

“The velocity is good. The command really good,” Roberts said. “Now it’s just about getting him back out there with OKC, and playing against better competition, how he’s responding to a back-to-back, and things like that.”