Whereas many of the Nationwide League remains 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 staff’s largest 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 file for the reason that starting of June.
Regardless of their latest droop, the Dodgers have one of many extra snug 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 high two and safe a first-round bye is extra of a query. L.A. is nicely 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 during which 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 high of the commerce market. “For us, I don’t suppose our mentality is completely different than it’s been in earlier years in that we really feel now we have a extremely good staff and to the extent that we will 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 shouldn’t be one thing we’re going to spend so much of time on. That doesn’t imply one thing shouldn’t be going to occur alongside these traces however that’s not the place our vitality and focus will likely 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 loads of affect gamers again by then. Los Angeles isn’t anticipating a long-term absence for Tyler Glasnow. Mookie Betts, Max Muncy and Yoshinobu Yamamoto might be again in August. Clayton Kershaw is increase within the minors as he completes his rehab from final 12 months’s shoulder surgical procedure.
Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller as soon as seemed 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 subject. Miller misplaced a pair months to a shoulder drawback and didn’t appear to be himself upon returning. The Dodgers optioned him to Triple-A late final week. Dustin Could received’t be capable to 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 strong playoff rotation. There’s draw back with that complete 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 staff, Los Angeles would profit from including one other high-end starter whom the staff would really feel snug taking the ball in October.
The Dodgers reportedly already made a suggestion to the White Sox for Garrett Crochet that was turned down. They’ll presumably have continued curiosity within the AL strikeout chief, who’d actually qualify because the form of affect expertise to which Friedman alluded. Groups can have questions on how nicely Crochet will maintain up given his innings depend, however he’s pitching like an ace for the time being. Jack Flaherty and Yusei Kikuchi appear to be the highest rental starters who’ll be in the marketplace.
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 discipline. 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 discipline 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 simple sufficient to argue for an improve, but it surely’s additionally not clear what number of important gamers are in the marketplace. The center infield group seems to be very skinny. Luis Robert Jr. is the crown of the middle discipline class. The White Sox would wish a large haul to deal him due to his three years of remaining membership management.
