The Dodgers have steadied themselves with back-to-back sweeps of the Rockies and Pirates, but the rough patches from their seven-game losing streak earlier in August and the uneven showing against the Brewers still haven’t vanished. Even so, the picture would look a lot uglier without a few low-key contributors who have kept the club from sliding further.
Edgardo Henriquez has been one of the biggest reasons the back end of the bullpen hasn’t turned into a full-blown mess. The Dodgers have had plenty of trouble late in games, with Edwin Diaz battling through issues between IL stints, Evan Phillips struggling badly after returning, and Alex Vesia carrying a 5.27 ERA since the All-Star break.
Henriquez has given them something they badly needed: stability. The young right-hander has turned the page on his spring training struggles and, in his first extended big league run, has posted a 2.91 ERA over 52⅔ innings in 2026.
Now he’s getting looks in higher-leverage spots, and the early results have been ridiculous - eight innings this season and only a .048 batting average against.
Alex Call has also helped paper over a major problem in the outfield. The Dodgers have been short on production there, with Kyle Tucker’s confidence described as shot and Teoscar Hernandez’s power almost gone.
That’s a tough place to be when the corner spots are supposed to carry thump. Call, though, has quietly done his part.
Acquired at last year’s trade deadline for outfield depth and later the subject of trade rumors this year, the 31-year-old is still around and has produced an .867 OPS against southpaws. In a lineup that needs help wherever it can find it, that kind of lefty-mashing matters, and it raises the question of when Dave Roberts might finally sit Tucker down against lefties and let Call handle the job.
Then there’s Hunter Feduccia, who has done more than just survive a difficult roster situation. When Andrew Friedman added two catchers at the trade deadline after Dalton Rushing joined Will Smith on the IL, Ben Rortvedt and Feduccia were seen as stopgaps, not difference-makers.
But Feduccia has outperformed that label. In a sample of 16 games and 38 plate appearances, the former Tampa Bay Ray is hitting .235/.316/.382, which works out to a 95 wRC+.
In a star-heavy lineup, that’s enough to count as useful, and more than enough to keep a bigger problem from forming behind the plate.
In Other News...
Dodgers Let A Winnable One Slip As Top Seed Pressure Builds
Tyler Glasnows return gave the Dodgers something to build on, but it still wasnt enough to stop a late Atlanta push in a 4-3 loss. In his first major league start in more than three and a half months, Glasnow worked five innings and struck out seven, a solid step for a rotation that needs him back in rhythm as the stretch run tightens.
The defeat left Los Angeles a game behind Milwaukee for the top seed in the National League, and games like this can loom large if the race stays this tight. The Dodgers had enough chances to change the feel of the night, but they came away empty when it mattered most, a frustrating finish for a club trying to hold position while the pressure around them keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Could Catch Shohei Ohtani At The Worst Possible Time
Shohei Ohtanis pitching return is suddenly in play for the Dodgers, and the timing could hardly be more intriguing. Dave Roberts said Ohtani has a chance to come back to the mound for the upcoming weekend series against the Detroit Tigers, a reminder that Los Angeles may be getting its most electric two-way player back just as the regular season is tightening.
The next checkpoint comes Wednesday, when Ohtani is scheduled to throw either a bullpen session or face live hitters. If that work goes well, he could rejoin the Dodgers rotation for the final stretch, giving Roberts another high-end option as the club pushes toward October. For now, the wait centers on that session, with the Tigers potentially lined up for an uncomfortable reunion at exactly the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]
Former Dodgers Depth Piece From A Title Era Is Calling It A Career
Matt Beaty, one of those useful, do-everything depth pieces the Dodgers have leaned on in recent seasons, has decided to call it a career at 33. Drafted by Los Angeles in 2015, Beaty got to the majors in 2019 and carved out a role as a versatile bench bat who could bounce around the field and give a lineup a different look late in games.
For Dodgers fans, he fits the profile of a player who was never the headline name but still mattered during a title window, especially because he spent parts of five seasons in the organization. After leaving Los Angeles, Beaty moved through stops with the Padres, Royals, Giants and Diamondbacks organizations, a run that underscored how valued that kind of plug-in utility can be even if the job rarely comes with much security. [Read more 🡒]