The Dodgers had a busy Wednesday even before the first pitch, and the day only got messier from there.
Los Angeles fell to the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-6, in 10 innings and slipped to 82-57 on the season.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave the Dodgers a strong workload, striking out eight over seven innings while allowing four earned runs on five hits. Freddie Freeman snapped a 47-game homerless stretch with a towering three-run blast in the first inning, and Mookie Betts added a two-run homer in the sixth.
That offense looked enough for a while, but the Dodgers couldn’t close it out. Tanner Scott gave up the tying run in the top of the eighth, and the Cardinals broke things open with three runs in the 10th to take the game and the series.
Before the game, the Dodgers activated reliever Blake Treinen from the injured list. To make room, the team placed starter Eric Lauer on the 15-day IL and moved reliever Will Klein to the 60-day IL.
That move matters because Klein is now ineligible to return during the regular season. He could still technically be available in October, though it’s uncertain whether the Dodgers would count on him after he hasn’t pitched in more than two months.
Klein, who is dealing with bone chips in his elbow, posted a 3.67 ERA this year before being shut down. He also played a major role in last season’s Fall Classic, throwing five innings in the World Series, including four innings in the final stretch of the 18-inning classic.
The organization also cut ties with 10 players recently. Most of those players were in the Dominican Summer League, while two were in the Arizona Complex League when they were released.
And there was more injury news on the pitching side. According to manager Dave Roberts, another Dodgers pitcher has hit a setback in his recovery. That pitcher posted a 1.42 ERA in four appearances during the 2024 postseason, including two innings in the World Series, but hasn’t appeared on an MLB mound since mid-April.
“I think [he] is shut down for the time being,” Roberts said. “I think we classified it as arm fatigue. So not sure when he’s going to return to pitching here.”
In Other News...
Dodgers Shut Down An Unlikely October Hero With Bigger Questions Ahead
Will Kleins improbable rise out of the Dodgers bullpen has run into a tough pause at the worst possible time. The right-hander was shifted to the 60-day injured list because of right elbow discomfort, a move that closes the book on his regular season and forces the club to shuffle its relief corps heading into the final stretch.
Blake Treinen was activated to take Kleins spot, giving the Dodgers another familiar late-inning arm as they sort through October planning. The bigger question now is whether Klein will be available for the postseason at all, and for a team that has leaned on unexpected contributors before, his health suddenly matters just as much as his emergence did. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Left A Rising Outfielder Waiting For One Frustrating Reason
The Dodgers used their roster expansion to bring up catcher Dalton Rushing and infielder Alex Freeland, but the move also left outfielder James Tibbs in Triple-A for now. Tibbs had been in the conversation for a call-up after turning in a strong run at the top minor-league level, yet the club chose the more straightforward path by leaning on players already on the 40-man roster and keeping its options open.
For a prospect with Tibbs profile, the delay is more frustrating than alarming. He remains one of the organizations more intriguing young outfielders and is still viewed as a player who should get to the majors in the next couple of years, but this first opening never materialized. For now, the Dodgers are prioritizing flexibility over a longer look at a bat that had at least put itself firmly in the discussion. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Rotation Suddenly Has A New Problem At The Worst Time
The Dodgers pitching depth took another hit just as the schedule is asking for stability, with left-hander Eric Lauer landing on the injured list because of left elbow inflammation. In a corresponding move, the club activated right-hander Blake Treinen from the 60-day injured list, while Will Klein was shifted to the 60-day injured list to clear a roster spot. It is the sort of shuffle that says as much about the wear and tear of a long season as it does about any one arm.
For now, Lauer is expected to miss at least two weeks, which leaves Los Angeles with four starting pitchers in the immediate picture. That is hardly where the Dodgers want to be at this point, especially with the margins getting tighter and the need for healthy innings only growing. Treinens return gives the bullpen a useful piece back, but the rotation issue is the one hanging over the roster now. [Read more 🡒]