FIRST-HALF REVIEW
HOW THEY GOT HERE: The Dodgers reached the All-Star break in first place in the National League West for the eighth time in the past 10 full seasons. But they dropped parts like a high-mileage Corolla on the way here. The injured list features two everyday starters (shortstop Mookie Betts and third baseman Max Muncy), one platoon starter (outfielder Jason Heyward), four relievers (Joe Kelly, Brusdar Graterol, Ryan Brasier and Michael Grove) and seven – seven! – starting pitchers (Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Emmet Sheehan, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May). Despite the subtractions, they had the second highest-scoring offense in the NL and the third-best ERA in the league. The offense was carried by the four All-Stars at the top of the lineup – Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith. Ohtani has had an MVP-level season as a DH – no full-time DH has ever won the award. The pitching staff has been buoyed by a relief corps that – until recently – has handled an increasingly heavy load.
SECOND-HALF PREVIEW
KEYS TO SUCCESS: The Dodgers are bound to get healthier in the second half – right? The questions are when, which players and how long will it take for them to return to form. Betts is the safest bet to return to productivity – though it’s doubtful whether he will return to shortstop. Muncy is a much larger question mark, having experienced setbacks in his recovery from a strained oblique muscle and missed extended time. Glasnow’s trip to the IL has the feel of a convenient way to curb his innings. But Yamamoto, Buehler and Kershaw are not guaranteed to slip back into the front of the rotation and start performing like their best selves. The Dodgers could probably limp their way to another NL West title at less than full strength. But their chances in October – the only thing that matters with this team – will hinge on the return to health of those front-line players … or what reinforcements are added at the trade deadline.
BIGGEST CONCERN: For the second year in a row, the starting rotation has dissolved on the Dodgers. It wasn’t supposed to happen again. Adding Glasnow, Yamamoto and James Paxton to a group of young starting pitchers led by Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone and Emmet Sheehan was supposed to give the Dodgers uncommon depth at the position and ensure last year didn’t repeat. The best-laid multi-million dollar plans don’t always work out the way they’re supposed to. The bottom of the lineup has been a sinkhole and needs to be addressed. But the Dodgers’ main focus has to be on shoring up the starting rotation before the July 30 trade deadline – again.
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TRADE POSSIBILITIES: The Dodgers’ shopping list couldn’t be any more obvious – starting pitching and an outfielder who could add some offensive production to the bottom of the order. The early speculation about acquiring a shortstop to replace Betts (or now Miguel Rojas) has cooled. Any trade deadline shopper needs to browse the rosters of the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays – underachieving teams with numerous potential trade chips. Sox who fit the Dodgers’ needs are left-hander Garrett Crochet, right-hander Erick Fedde and outfielders Luis Robert Jr. and Tommy Pham. How deeply the Blue Jays are ready to sell off remains in question – they did average 91 wins over the previous three seasons before this season. Chris Bassitt is a veteran starter the Jays might be willing to move. Jack Flaherty in Detroit and former Dodger Tyler Anderson in Anaheim are additional starting pitchers on the market. As usual, the Dodgers have a deep minor-league system from which to deal.
SCHEDULE: The Dodgers make a trip to Houston in the second half – a matchup that never fails to ignite passions. They also host the Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles in August and the Cleveland Guardians in September (the teams with the best records in baseball). But the most important days on the calendar are likely to be the five days off the Dodgers will get for the third year in a row if they finish the regular season with one of the two best records in the National League. The down time is supposed to be a reward for a successful regular season. But the Dodgers (and others) have not figured out how to navigate that break and come out ready to perform in the postseason.
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