The Los Angeles Dodgers banked on being able to outscore opponents at will by putting three former Most Valuable Players — Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman — at the top of their lineup every night.
Their starting rotation has had a hard time cooperating with the plan.
Wednesday, the team at least gained some clarity on who might comprise their postseason rotation, for better or worse.
Breakout rookie Gavin Stone is “very unlikely” to return this season from a right shoulder injury, manager Dave Roberts told reporters in Miami. It’s a devastating blow to a fluctuating rotation currently comprised of Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, and Landon Knack.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 19: Max Muncy #13, Gavin Lux #9, Jason Heyward #23, Gavin Stone #35 and Freddie Freeman #5 get ready in the dugout prior to the game against the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium on August 19, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Stone is “very unlikely” to return this year, manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
Yamamoto and Flaherty have been the most consistent pitchers in the group, but their lack of postseason experience poses a significant question mark for a team with championship aspirations.
Yamamoto is in his first year in Major League Baseball after being lured from Japan with a record 12-year, $325 million contract last December. Flaherty has started four postseason games, but none since 2020 when he was with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The fifth member of the Dodgers’ rotation — Bobby Miller, their breakout rookie in 2023 — was optioned to the minor leagues one day after his latest disastrous start. Miller started Tuesday and allowed four runs in two innings in a 12-9 loss to the Marlins.
Miller’s 8.52 ERA is the highest in baseball for any pitcher who’s thrown at least 42 innings this season. The right-hander was somewhat of a longshot to sneak onto the Dodgers’ postseason roster. But Wednesday’s move, in which the Dodgers also optioned right-handed pitcher Michael Grove, activated veteran reliever Joe Kelly, and promoted journeyman Zach Logue from Triple-A, clinched it.
The Dodgers activated RHP Joe Kelly, selected the contract of LHP Zach Logue and optioned RHPs Bobby Miller and Michael Grove. In order to make room for Logue, the Dodgers transferred RHP Tyler Glasnow to the 60-day injured list.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 18, 2024
The Dodgers were hoping to get Tyler Glasnow back from an elbow injury before the season ended. But his scheduled simulated game Saturday was called off before it could begin, and he left the team in Atlanta to get testing. Wednesday, Glasnow was transferred to the 60-day injured list, officially ending his season.
The good news?
Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers’ three-time Cy Young Award winner and future Hall of Famer, reportedly threw a bullpen session Wednesday in excess of 80 pitches.
It’s the most Kershaw has thrown since he was placed on the injured list with a bone spur in the big toe on his left foot.
Kershaw has made only seven starts this year. He missed the entire first half as he rehabilitated from offseason shoulder surgery. The 36-year-old tried pitching through the bone spur before going on the injured list Aug. 31.
If healthy, Kershaw would add a rare familiar presence to a rotation that has changed almost weekly. The Dodgers hold the second-best record in the National League through Tuesday at 89-62 in spite of, not because of, their pitchers’ health.
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