The Dodgers may not have a glaring roster flaw as the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaches, but Will Smith’s absence has created one spot they can’t just hope away.
Los Angeles has enough talent everywhere else to survive without making a splash. The infield and outfield are loaded, and the club doesn’t appear eager to chase a temporary starter while Shohei Ohtani is shut down from pitching and Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow work back.
With the National League West all but wrapped up, the Dodgers also seem comfortable leaning on bullpen games for now. A reliever wouldn’t be out of the question, but Edwin Díaz is nearing a return and Blake Treinen should be back well before October.
That leaves catcher as the clearest area to address.
Dalton Rushing has been pushed into a starting role, and in one sense that has been the only real upside to Smith’s injury. The Dodgers wanted a look at Rushing, a 2022 second-round pick and former top prospect whose bat has long stood out. He’s handled a heavy workload, but there’s a real concern about wearing him down before October even arrives.
Rushing opened the season on fire, hitting .348 with seven home runs and a 1.271 OPS in March and April. The bat cooled in May, and when Smith was scratched from the lineup on June 6, Rushing became the everyday catcher. Since then, he’s hitting .230 with four home runs and a .763 OPS.
The issue is what comes after him.
The Dodgers initially used Chuckie Robinson as the backup, but he went 2-for-23 before being designated for assignment so the team could get a longer look at Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. That’s not the kind of depth a contender wants to lean on for the next couple of months, especially with Smith not expected back before late August at the earliest. September - or even later - is still on the table.
“We don’t know," manager Dave Roberts said of a Smith return, "but we’re certainly counting on it.”
That uncertainty is why the Dodgers need more than Rushing and a prayer. They need a catcher they can trust to start once or twice a week and, if things go sideways, take over without the whole position falling apart.
Ben Rortvedt is the name most Dodger fans have circled. He was last year’s late-season hero and is now with the New York Mets in Triple-A. But if Los Angeles wanted him, the move probably would have happened already, which suggests the club may be aiming higher.
Tyler Stephenson of the Cincinnati Reds is another possibility. He’s a right-handed bat who would fit alongside Rushing, and he’s hitting .244 with eight home runs and a .712 OPS in 77 games this season. He’s also on an expiring $6.8 million contract.
Luis Torrens of the Mets is in the mix too, though he profiles more as a defense-first option. He’s under team control for the next two seasons at a total of $11.5 million, which makes him a less natural fit.
If the Dodgers decide they can’t count on Smith this season, they could reach for a bigger name like Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins. He’s on a $6.7 million expiring contract and has put together a strong year, hitting .284 with nine home runs and a .933 OPS across 44 games.
If Smith comes back in late August or early September, the Dodgers can head into the postseason feeling good about the combination of Smith and Rushing. But if they’re serious about chasing a three-peat, they can’t leave themselves one Rushing injury away from a mess.
In Other News...
Dodgers Expected To Push Deadline Aggression Even Further
The Dodgers have spent years operating like a club that treats the trade deadline as a chance to fine-tune a contender, but rival executives now think this summer could be even more ambitious. According to reporting cited by USA Todays Bob Nightengale, Los Angeles is expected to keep pushing for major additions even with a roster already built to win, with the front office believed to be eyeing help across several spots rather than settling for a single move.
The list of possible needs is broad enough to tell you how high the bar is in Chavez Ravine: rotation help, bullpen depth, a catcher while Will Smith is out, second base and another outfielder all have been mentioned as areas the Dodgers could address. The bigger question is not whether they will be active, but how far they are willing to go in a market where their motivation is tied to one more historic run. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Have Three Deadline Needs They Cant Ignore
The Dodgers deadline picture is starting to look less like a luxury-shopping trip and more like a roster maintenance job. Injuries and uneven production have left them with a few obvious pressure points, and the front office is already being pushed to think about help behind the plate, in the bullpen and on the left side of the pitching mix before the market gets too thin.
One name drawing attention is a familiar type of target: a catcher who can also give the lineup some needed balance against left-handed pitching while the club waits for its regular options to settle in. On the mound, the Dodgers are also weighing whether to add another right-handed arm with closing experience and a lefty who can help bridge the gap between the rotation and the late innings, which says plenty about how many different ways this roster can still be tested over the next few months. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Linked To Deadline Arm As Pitching Need Keeps Growing
The Dodgers are still looking for pitching help as the August 3 trade deadline approaches, and the need has only become more obvious with the way the staff has been stretched. One name being floated around the market is veteran right-hander Clay Holmes, whose availability gives Los Angeles another possible path to add depth without chasing the biggest arm on the board.
Holmes has barely pitched this season because of a fractured right fibula in mid-May, but he has started a rehab assignment and remains a flexible fit for a club that values options. If the Dodgers do get involved, the appeal is not just innings, but the kind of swing role that could matter in both the rotation and the bullpen once October planning starts to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]