Dodgers lose Tyson Miller on waivers to the Mets

LOS ANGELES — A busy week for roster moves continues, with pitcher Tyson Miller claimed off waivers from the Dodgers by the Mets on Friday. Miller was designated for assignment Wednesday, when Ryan Pepiot was activated off the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A.

New York is the third team this season for Miller, who began the year with the Brewers before the Dodgers acquired him for cash considerations on July 12. Miller’s time in the Dodgers organization lasted three weeks, and included two games and three scoreless innings for Oklahoma City with five strikeouts, plus one game with the Dodgers, allowing two runs in two innings in mop-up duty on July 26 against Toronto.

Miller grew up in Indio and pitched at Shadow Hills High School, where he was teammates with catcher Taylor Ward, now with the Angels. Miller moved on to Cal Baptist in Riverside for college, but despite being in the general orbit of Dodger Stadium he didn’t grow up rooting for the Dodgers.

Drafted by the Cubs in 2016, Miller reached the majors in 2020 with Chicago, then again with the Rangers in 2022 before the Brewers and Dodgers this season. The Mets are his fifth organization. Having been around a bit, Miller grew to appreciate the Dodgers from afar, more so after joining them, albeit for only a short time.

“I wasn’t really a Dodgers fan until I got into pro ball and saw it behind the scenes, and not just as a fan,” Miller said in an interview during the Dodgers homestand. “They’re the west coast Yankees, they’re very professional. there are future Hall of Famers in this organization. It’s a cool experience.”

WIth Dodger Stadium only a two-hour drive from where he grew up, Miller said on July 28 that he thought some family and friends would come to Saturday and Sunday’s games against the Reds, hopefully to watch him pitch. The unfortunate side of this is that he did not pitch on Saturday, and was optioned Sunday when the Dodgers activated Lance Lynn.

Miller was the 32nd of 35 Dodgers to pitch in a game this season. Now with the Mets, he joins Phil Bickford — the second of 35 Dodgers pitchers in 2023 — who was traded to New York Tuesday after getting designated for assignment by the Dodgers on Saturday. Also in that Tuesday trade to the Mets was Adam Kolarek, who is not on the 40-man roster and is in Triple-A. Kolarek pitched once for the Dodgers this season, on June 11 in Philadelphia, the 26th to pitch for the team this season.

It’s a growing list.