Dodgers Pitcher Bobby Miller Collapses to the Mound After Struck by 106 MPH Baseball to the Head

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Bobby Miller was struck in the head by a fastball during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, Feb. 20. 

Miller, 25, was hit in the head when Cubs first baseman Michael Busch hit a 105.5 mph fastball during the third inning.

Miller was struck in the temple, whipping his hat off his head. He immediately grasped his head as he collapsed to the ground. Though his head was injured and had a huge red mark, he slowly got off the ground before the medical staff arrived on the field.

Miller was able to walk off the field himself and exited the game, the first of the 2025 spring training.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game that the team is unsure how long Miller will be out.

“It was good to see him walk off the field. I don’t think we’re getting any X-rays right now,” Roberts told reporters, per Dodgers Nation. “When I was on the mound, he didn’t express any pain. I think he’s going to kind of regroup, lay low.”

“Certainly it was a very scary moment. From what I’ve gathered, he’s gonna be under concussion protocol,” Roberts said, adding, “I don’t know what that means as far as going forward. Certainly it’s somewhat of a setback.”

“When the trainer came out and asked him if he knew where he was, he made a little joke about hanging a curveball,” Dodgers third basemen Max Muncy said, per Dodgers Nation.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Miller is attempting a comeback to form after a disappointing 2024 season. He missed time due to a shoulder injury, and only made 13 starts in the majors. He finished with an 8.52 ERA and a 2-4 record.

“At the end of the day, I was physically able to pitch, so there’s no excuse that I can make,” Miller told The Athletic earlier this week. “Just poor execution on my part is what it really comes down to and not having my normal pitch mix and command that I had the year before.”

“I don’t live in the past,” Miller’s new teammate, two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, told The Athletic. “He shouldn’t either. Last year, you learn from and then focus on what he’s doing. He’ll learn. He’s such an amazing talent. I don’t ask him what he did last year because I don’t care. I think what he’s gonna do is way more important than what happened. Learn from it, get better, whatever it was going bad and then this year is this year. Be ready for it.”

Miller was drafted 29th overall by the Dodgers in the 2020 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut during the 2023 season.