THE GAME: Bobby Miller left the game in the third inning after being hit in the head by a line drive and the Dodgers went on to lose to the Chicago Cubs, 12-4, on Thursday afternoon in the Cactus League opener for the two teams that are scheduled to open the regular season in Tokyo next month.
PITCHING REPORT: Miller was facing his second batter in the third inning, Michael Busch, when Busch hit a line drive back at him. The ball left Busch’s bat at 106 mph and hit Miller in the side of the head. Miller dropped to the ground clutching his head but was able to stand up and leave the game under his own power. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it was “a very scary moment.” Miller will be in the concussion protocol indefinitely. “We’ll keep an eye on him tonight,” Roberts said. “We have to make sure that he feels okay going forward. I don’t know how long this protocol lasts. … But it was good to see him actually walk off the field and know where he was at.” … Yoshinobu Yamamoto faced the first eight hitters of the game, retiring five (two on strikeouts) and allowing three singles. Yamamoto threw 27 pitches and hit 96 mph with his fastball.
HITTING REPORT: Eddie Rosario hit the Dodgers’ first home run of the spring. The non-roster outfielder who won the 2021 National League Championship Series MVP for the Braves against the Dodgers hit a two-run home run in the second inning. … Another non-roster player, David Bote was 2 for 2 with a pair of singles. … Catcher Hunter Feduccia was 1 for 2 with a double. Chris Okey drove in a run with a bloop double.
DEFENSE REPORT: Highly-regarded prospect Zyhir Hope made two outstanding catches in left field. In the fifth inning, he came in to make a diving catch of a sinking line drive. In the sixth inning, he ran into the outfield wall while catching Pablo Aliendo’s drive.
ABS REPORT: MLB is testing the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system during spring training including all of the Dodgers’ games at Camelback Ranch. Each team will be allowed two challenges per game, the same system used in Triple-A the past two seasons. Cubs starter Cody Poteet put the system to use in the first inning when an 0-and-1 fastball at the knees to Muncy was called a ball. The call was changed to a strike after the challenge. “I don’t hate the idea of it,” said Muncy, who became familiar with the ABS system during a minor-league rehab assignment last year. “The technology, I think they’ll admit, is not entirely there yet but it’s a cool idea and I like it.”
Before the game, Roberts joked that Muncy was the only player forbidden to challenge calls because “he’s our biggest culprit of not agreeing with the strike zone.” Muncy got some grief from his teammates about that.
“Freddie called me out in the meeting and said, ‘You’re banned from using challenges,’” Muncy said. “I don’t know why. I guess that’s just because everyone just knows I have a good idea of the strike zone. But of course it’s me that gets the first one after all those guys are joking about it. So fitting. When I came back, Freddie was waiting for me just laughing right in my face. Go figure.”
UP NEXT: Dodgers (RHP Tony Gonsolin) vs. Cubs (LHP Jordan Wicks) at Sloan Park in Mesa, Friday, 12:05 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM