The Dodgers have done it again, they have clinched another NL West title, their 11th in the last 12 seasons. All of those winning seasons however have delivered just one World Series championship (2020), their first since 1988.
They seemed poised to run away with the division this season but ran into a slew of pitching injuries to both bullpen and starting staff. It allowed the San Diego Padres to close the gap and move to within just 2 games before the Dodgers finally finished it off.
Dodgers pitching injuries pile up in 2nd half
Dodgers pitching injuries are not a new thing. They knew when the season started that they would have to wait and hope when it came to Clayton Kershaw (Off season shoulder surgery) and Dustin May (Elbow surgery). Tony Gonsolin was probably going to miss the whole year and newly signed Shohei Ohtani wasn’t expected to pitch until 2025.
Kershaw didn’t return until the end of July and lasted just 7 starts before a toe injury felled him again. May didn’t throw a single pitch, then it was one after another. Youngsters River Ryan, Emmet Sheehan and Gavin Stone all gone.
Japanese superstar Yoshinobu Yamamoto with a rotator cuff strain in June and maybe the killer, new ace and oft injured Tyler Glasnow gone for the season in September with a sprained elbow.
There was temporary hope that Ohtani might return on the mound for the post season but that won’t happen according to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman:
“We aren’t even thinking about that right now,” Friedman said. “Again, this is like January for him (in a normal year). He’s just barely a year out from Tommy John. To me, he’s not really an option.”
Yamamoto has returned to mixed reviews, same for Walker Bueller, who’s not himself yet after his surgery. Jack Flaherty has pitched well after a trade from Detroit and that leaves rookie Landon Knack and no safety net.
Meanwhile Padres pitching looks healthy, The Phillies and Brewers as well and the Wild Card teams always go into the post season hot, It could be a rough and quick ride for the perrenial NL West champs come October.
