The Dodgers have spent much of 2026 waiting on their rotation to get right, and that patience is starting to look like a feature, not a flaw.
Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani have all missed significant time, but Los Angeles has never seemed in a rush to force the issue. In a season where the Dodgers have stayed on top of the National League West anyway, the club has leaned into a familiar approach: let the starters heal fully, then trust the depth and the front office to patch things together until October.
Snell’s path back was especially deliberate. He was limited to three innings in one May start, then went away for three months after a procedure to remove loose bodies from his elbow.
When he finally returned in August, he looked dominant right away. The Dodgers had him build up slowly in the minors and waited until he felt unquestionably healthy, by his own admission.
Glasnow, who missed plenty of time with back spasms, is back now too and has looked really good.
That caution has made sense because the rotation has remained the strength, while the bullpen has become the problem.
Edwin Díaz has been a major disappointment in his first season and is now back on the IL with neck inflammation after struggling badly. Tanner Scott has been more stable in his second year with the team, but not flawless.
Blake Treinen and Will Klein have also spent time on the IL, though Treinen recently returned. Alex Vesia has had strong stretches, but he’s also carried a heavy workload at times, and that has shown up in fatigue and some rough outings.
The Dodgers’ pitching picture has been so split that it almost invites the joke that they should stash a reliever or two on ice until August. That’s only half a joke. The contrast between the two units is stark, and it leaves Dave Roberts with a club that looks built to ride its rotation in the postseason while hoping the bullpen doesn’t wobble at the wrong time.
Ohtani is the latest example of the same cautious mindset. He hasn’t pitched since July 3 and could be shut down for the season as a pitcher, even though the Dodgers still appear to be denying that possibility. For now, the organization is sticking with the same logic it used for Snell and Glasnow: don’t bring him back too soon.
So far, it’s hard to argue with the method. The Dodgers have taken the slow road with their rehabbing starters, and the results have been good enough to make the approach look smart.
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Dodgers Lose Two Bats Late And Suddenly Face A Bigger Concern
The Dodgers arrived for their game against the Washington Nationals with another late shakeup to the lineup, and this one landed at a sensitive spot for a team already juggling health concerns. Dalton Rushing was scratched because of right elbow discomfort tied to a slightly torn UCL, while Max Muncy was also pulled because of illness, leaving Los Angeles to adjust on the fly before first pitch. Shohei Ohtani was still out of the lineup as well, adding to the sense that the Dodgers are trying to piece together offense while waiting for key names to clear.
Rushings situation is the one that naturally carries the bigger worry, because elbow trouble connected to a UCL is never the kind of detail a club wants to hear around a young bat. Muncy being sidelined by illness is more routine, and Ohtanis absence was already part of the picture, but losing another hitter right before a game forces the Dodgers to keep one eye on the scoreboard and another on the trainers room. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Could Get An Important Outfield Boost At The Perfect Time
Andy Pages has been out since Aug. 22 with a left hand fracture, and the Dodgers have spent the last stretch adjusting around his absence in center field. Pages also underwent surgery to insert a screw, but the recovery process has gone well enough that he is expected to start swinging a bat soon, a key step for a player whose value to the roster is tied to both his glove and his ability to keep the lineup moving.
Tommy Edman has handled most of the center-field work in Pages absence, giving the Dodgers a steady stopgap while they wait for more clarity on Pages timeline. The encouraging part for Los Angeles is that a return before the postseason still appears to be in play, which would give the club another option in the outfield right when October decisions start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Have A Rotation Problem They Can't Ignore
Eric Lauers rough outing against the St. Louis Cardinals turned into something more than just a bad night, as the Dodgers placed the left-hander on the 15-day injured list because of left elbow inflammation. Dave Roberts said Lauer was not feeling well during the start, and the timing leaves Los Angeles with a rotation issue it cant really brush aside for long.
The Dodgers are now down to four starters and have to sort through internal options while they wait on Lauers status. Emmet Sheehan, Roki Sasaki and Gavin Stone are among the names in the mix, which gives the club some possibilities, but also underscores how quickly one injury can put added pressure on a staff that was supposed to have more stability. [Read more 🡒]