Health of pitching staff has become a top priority
LOS ANGELES » As far as the standings are concerned, the Dodgers haven’t had a margin of error this large in years. The last time they held a lead of 13 ½ games or more in the National League West was late in the 2019 season. That year, they took a 21-game lead in August and cruised to a division title.
The Dodgers’ lead over the second-place San Diego Padres is only slightly less commanding now, and the six-team National League playoff field is all but settled. Only seven NL teams are currently above .500. The 51-55 San Francisco Giants are seven games behind the two teams battling for the final wild card berth. In one sense, that leaves little drama for the final months of the season.
In another sense, the Dodgers are treading on thin ice.
The latest back injury to Clayton Kershaw put a dent in their 5-man starting rotation. And Tuesday’s trade that sent Mitch White to the Toronto Blue Jays robbed the Dodgers of their most reliable fill-in starter. White had a 3.70 earned-run average in 15 games (10 starts) this season.
Dave Roberts mentioned Ryan Pepiot as a candidate to take Kershaw’s place in the rotation for an injury that’s expected to cost Kershaw
the next month at minimum. Pepiot, 24, has a 2.76 ERA in 16 1/3 innings across four major league starts. He’s 8-0 with a 2.27 ERA at Triple-A Oklahoma City. At the moment, the Dodgers have little choice.
Only two other starters are currently on their 40man roster. Michael Grove has a 4.71 earned-run average at Triple-A Oklahoma City and did not fare well in two major league appearances. Andre Jackson has a 5.71 ERA at Triple-A.
Meanwhile, Dustin May, who’s on the 60-day injured list, is expected to need one or two more minor league rehabilitation starts before he returns to the majors. That leaves the Dodgers’ rotation one injury away from an unenviable situation.
“Sometimes there’s nothing you can do to guard against it,” manager Dave Roberts said. “You look at the pitching staff, it’s something that we’ve got to do what we can. I like the depth we have. You can’t prepare for what might or might not happen.”
Last season, the Dodgers patched together a rotation spot for nearly a month with bullpen games. At the moment, their bullpen is somewhat short-handed too.
Two of their high-leverage relievers on the injured list, Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol, threw simulated innings to teammates on Saturday. Both pitchers completed their sessions as planned.
Assuming no setbacks, Roberts said Graterol is 10 days away from returning, while Treinen is targeting a Sept. 1 return. Tommy Kahnle is targeting a September return as well.
In the meantime, the Dodgers’ mission might need to involve bubblewrapping their healthy pitchers.
“I think that mapping it out is trying to ensure that the guys we have active, stay active and healthy,” Roberts said. “The guys that are not active, do what we can to get them back, and as we get through September, see where we’re at. Hopefully there’s going to be a lot more difficult decisions to make as far as roster construction.
“Our mindset is, the 26 guys we have, we’re going to try to win a baseball game, and be mindful of workload.”
Also
Kershaw received an epidural injection to relieve the pain in his left lower back Friday. … Right-hander Walker Buehler played catch Saturday, making about 25 throws, Roberts said. … Edwin Rios went 1 for 2 with a double and an RBI in his latest rehab game with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He played seven innings at third base before being replaced by a pinch hitter. He attempted to steal third base in the sixth inning, but was thrown out.