Whereas many of the Nationwide League continues to be on the border of the playoff image, the Dodgers don’t have any such ambiguity. They’re of their typical place of making ready to purchase.
On paper, the group’s greatest query seems to be the roster depth. The Dodgers haven’t gotten a lot manufacturing out of the underside third of the lineup. They’ve seven beginning pitchers on the injured listing for the time being, main them to enter the All-Star Break with a four-man rotation that features three rookies. They felt the consequences within the weeks main as much as the Break. They’ve taken simply 4 of 12 video games this month and have a 20-18 report because the starting of June.
Regardless of their latest stoop, the Dodgers have one of many extra comfy divisional cushions within the majors. They’re seven video games away from the Diamondbacks and Padres within the NL West. They continue to be very prone to win the division. Whether or not they’ll end within the Nationwide League’s prime two and safe a first-round bye is extra of a query. L.A. is effectively again of the Phillies for the #1 seed and solely holds a one-game edge on the Central-leading Brewers.
The division lead permits the entrance workplace to be versatile wherein gamers they aim earlier than July 30. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman indicated this week that the Dodgers will focus most of their consideration on the prime of the commerce market. “For us, I don’t assume our mentality is completely different than it’s been in earlier years in that we really feel we now have a extremely good group and to the extent that we are able to add actually good gamers we’re going to be aggressive to take action,” Friedman mentioned (hyperlink through Invoice Plunkett of the Orange County Register). “What seems to be a marginal improve just isn’t one thing we’re going to spend so much of time on. That doesn’t imply one thing just isn’t going to occur alongside these traces however that’s not the place our vitality and focus will probably be.”
With little or no hazard of lacking the playoffs, the Dodgers can primarily concern themselves with how the roster will look in October. They anticipate having plenty of influence gamers again by then. Los Angeles isn’t anticipating a long-term absence for Tyler Glasnow. Mookie Betts, Max Muncy and Yoshinobu Yamamoto could possibly be again in August. Clayton Kershaw is increase within the minors as he completes his rehab from final yr’s shoulder surgical procedure.
Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller as soon as appeared like apparent items of the October workers. That’s questionable now. Buehler was rocked over eight begins in his return from a second Tommy John process. He has been on the injured listing for a month with a hip situation. Miller misplaced a pair months to a shoulder downside and didn’t seem like himself upon returning. The Dodgers optioned him to Triple-A late final week. Dustin Could gained’t be capable of contribute down the stretch after unexpectedly requiring throat surgical procedure in a scary state of affairs.
Glasnow, Yamamoto, Kershaw and Gavin Stone might nonetheless comprise a stable playoff rotation. There’s draw back with that total group, although. Yamamoto is rehabbing a rotator cuff pressure. Glasnow ought to simply eclipse his earlier profession excessive in innings. Kershaw is a 36-year-old coming off shoulder surgical procedure. That is the primary time Stone is getting prolonged run out of the rotation.
There’s not a ton of worth for the Dodgers in buying a back-end arm to take a handful of begins in August and September. Like each group, Los Angeles would profit from including one other high-end starter whom the group would really feel comfy taking the ball in October.
The Dodgers reportedly already made a proposal to the White Sox for Garrett Crochet that was turned down. They’ll presumably have continued curiosity within the AL strikeout chief, who’d definitely qualify because the sort of influence expertise to which Friedman alluded. Groups may have questions on how effectively Crochet will maintain up given his innings depend, however he’s pitching like an ace for the time being. Jack Flaherty and Yusei Kikuchi seem like the highest rental starters who’ll be available on the market.
Plunkett writes that Friedman downplayed the urgency so as to add at particular positions on the opposite aspect of the ball. The Dodgers haven’t gotten a lot out of Gavin Lux at second base. They’ve had restricted manufacturing in each left and heart subject. Third base has been a difficulty since Muncy went down. Andy Pages has stabilized the nook outfield spot reverse Teoscar Hernández, however the Dodgers are counting on James Outman in heart subject after he struggled early within the season.
Getting Betts again within the fold would go a great distance towards addressing these issues. He might slide to second base with Miguel Rojas dealing with shortstop, pushing Lux to the bench. Betts might clearly deal with the outfield if want be. As with the rotation, it’s straightforward sufficient to argue for an improve, but it surely’s additionally not clear what number of vital gamers are available on the market. The center infield group seems very skinny. Luis Robert Jr. is the crown of the middle subject class. The White Sox would wish an enormous haul to deal him because of his three years of remaining membership management.
