The Dodgers made a quiet move before the All-Star break, but it could wind up mattering more than it looks on paper. Landon Knack is back in the majors, and for a team that has been juggling arms all season, that matters.
Knack was once viewed as one of the better pitching prospects in the organization, and he had a real shot at cracking the Opening Day roster before an oblique injury in spring training knocked him off track. The 28-year-old has now missed more than half the season, but after three rehab outings in Triple-A, he stretched out to 63 pitches in his latest appearance and earned another look from Los Angeles.
That length could be useful right away. The Dodgers have used a six-man rotation all year, and Knack gives them another option for bulk innings or even bullpen games. He’ll still have to prove he belongs, but the opportunity is there.
To clear space, the Dodgers optioned Kyle Hurt to Oklahoma City and designated Charlie Barnes for assignment. Hurt had stepped in for Shohei Ohtani late last week, so a return later on still feels likely.
Even so, his recent work hasn’t helped his case: in his last two outings, he allowed six runs in just over five innings. He also threw a career-high 36 pitches over the weekend, making him an unlikely option coming out of the break.
Barnes is now DFA’d for the second time this season. He has an ERA above seven in three appearances with the Dodgers, and if he clears waivers, he can be sent back to Oklahoma City.
For Knack, the chance is overdue. He has only 26 appearances across three seasons and has spent a lot of that time battling injuries, but the Dodgers need arms and need them now.
Ohtani can pitch every sixth day, though he recently had his knee drained. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are still on the injured list, and Edwin Diaz is expected back in the second half.
That leaves Knack with a real opening, at least for the moment. The Dodgers need help in the bullpen and could use a spot starter too. The flip side is obvious: once some of those injured pitchers return, Knack may be pushed back down the depth chart.
There’s also a path where he turns this into something bigger. If Knack pitches well before the deadline, he could become a trade chip, since Los Angeles is looking for upgrades in the rotation, bullpen and elsewhere. For now, though, the important part is simpler: the Dodgers brought back a pitcher who never really got his chance, and now he finally has one.
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Dodgers Suddenly Face A Veteran Exit And A Bigger Roster Crossroads
The Dodgers pitching depth took another small hit when a veteran left-hander chose free agency after being designated for assignment, a move that came once Landon Knack was activated from the injured list. It is the kind of roster churn that has become familiar for a club trying to keep its rotation covered while waiting for injured starters to work back, and it adds one more layer to a staff that has been constantly in motion.
Freddie Freeman also offered a reminder that the season can make long-term questions feel distant, saying he is focused on this year and would like to get to 20 major league seasons. Meanwhile, Dave Roberts addressed Eric Lauers place as a sixth starter and acknowledged the possibility that he could become a trade piece before the Aug. 3 deadline if the Dodgers get healthier in the rotation, which leaves the club balancing immediate innings against whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers May Finally Have The Young Arm This Rotation Needs
With the All-Star break here and the Dodgers sitting atop the standings, the front office can afford to think beyond the next series and toward the kind of rotation help that tends to matter most in October. One name worth watching is River Ryan, whose return from injury has been moving along with the kind of patience Los Angeles prefers when it is dealing with a young arm it believes can matter later.
Andrew Friedman has made it clear the Dodgers are not interested in rushing the process, even with the need for another starter looming in the background. Ryan is expected to work his way back into the mix later this season, and if everything goes smoothly from here, the club may finally get a better sense of how soon he can become part of the answer rather than just another promising arm on the way up. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Have A Bigger Roki Sasaki Concern Than They Realized
Roki Sasakis first season in Los Angeles has been bumpy enough that the Dodgers are spending the All-Star break looking for answers, not just results. He finished his final start before the break with six innings of work, allowing four hits and three earned runs, and the broader line has been hard to ignore: a 3-5 record and a 5.33 ERA through 16 starts.
The encouraging part for the Dodgers is that Sasaki is still in the rotation, which gives the club time to keep working through what has gone wrong. The less comforting part is how quickly the conversation has shifted from simple command issues to a deeper mechanical concern, and the next few weeks should tell whether the break gives him a reset or only a brief pause in a season that has already asked a lot of him. [Read more 🡒]