Dodgers Activate Bobby Miller, Designate Alek Thomas in September Roster Shuffle

The Los Angeles Dodgers are doing that classic September roster shuffle where they activate a former top prospect and immediately cut a guy you completely forgot was on the team. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Dodgers have officially activated right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller from the 60-day injured list and designated outfielder Alek Thomas for assignment.

Miller has been on the shelf with right shoulder soreness since March 22. That is over five months of rehab, which in modern Dodgers pitching timelines is basically just a long weekend. He spent the last few weeks ramping up with Triple-A Oklahoma City and is finally back on the active roster just in time for the playoff push.

"MLB Trade Rumors reported the official transaction on social media."

To make room on the 40-man roster, Los Angeles designated Thomas. The Dodgers acquired the former Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder earlier this year, presumably just to have another guy standing in the outfield grass during batting practice. Now his brief and entirely forgettable tenure in Dodger Blue has come to an end.

The real story here is what the Dodgers actually plan to do with Miller. If you remember 2023, he looked like the next great homegrown ace. But his 2025 campaign was a disaster that featured just two major-league appearances, including a brutal outing where he gave up six runs in three innings to the Colorado Rockies before getting banished to the minors.

For anyone holding Dodgers futures or trying to handicap their daily moneylines, Miller is a massive wild card. You cannot confidently back a pitcher who has not thrown a single big-league inning in 2026. That means his immediate future is likely eating low-leverage innings out of the bullpen or taking a spot start just to give the rest of the rotation a breather.

Los Angeles continues their series against the Washington Nationals on September 6. Whether Miller gets the ball in a low-stakes blowout or is actually trusted with meaningful outs will tell us exactly how much faith the front office still has in their former first-round pick.