Remember when Dave Roberts and the Los Angeles Dodgers claimed they could sell at the MLB trade deadline? It should come as no surprise that was all an act. The Dodgers went out and added a two-time AL Cy Young winner on an expiring contract in Tarik Skubal. With a lockout arguably of their own doing looming, the Dodgers seem more than willing to run Skubal into the ground — and the numbers aren't a great look.
The Dodgers have enough starting pitcher injuries to worry about. That's much of the reason they acquired Skubal. LA's rotation is held together by tape and twigs, with Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow having extensive injury histories, while Shohei Ohtani throws on a limited basis. Say what you will of Skubal, who underwent his own Tommy John surgery in college, but he's been far more dependable the last two years than anyone on the Dodgers staff not named Yoshinobu Yamamoto. But are the Dodgers and Roberts risking Skubal's health by riding their new horse?
What the numbers say about the Dodgers' Tarik Skubal usage
Skubal is a baseball analytics godsend. There are any number of, well, numbers we could dive into to show just how impressive Skubal, but that's not necessary for this argument. No one is arguing that the Dodgers are a worse team with Skubal on the roster. What we are arguing is that their usage of Skubal — especially considering how familiar they are with his line of work — has been questionable at best. The Tigers and manager AJ Hinch were infamously careful with Skubal, watching his workload and pitch count before and after he had loose bodies removed from his elbow early this season. The Dodgers have taken the opposite approach.
Outing | Team | Pitches thrown |
|---|---|---|
8/22/26 | Dodgers | 106 |
AL Wild Card | Tigers | 107 |
6/28/22 | Tigers | 108 |
8/16/26 | Dodgers | 109 |
The prevailing thought when the Dodgers traded for Skubal was that they were the favorites to sign him to a long-term contract this winter. Yet, they're utilizing him like a short-term rental, and at this rate arm fatigue is a major concern, even with the extra day of rest. The Dodgers team doctor, Dr. Neil ElAttrache, performed Skubal's elbow procedure earlier this season. Is he really okay with how Los Angeles is disregarding his recovery?
What Dave Roberts had to say about Tarik Skubal
Following Skubal's most recent start, a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in which he struck out 11 while scattering five hits and a walk across seven innings, Roberts finally admitted what pundits knew all along.
"That's the guy that we needed," Roberts said.
Damn right they did. Sure, the Dodgers have the most talented roster in baseball, but had Skubal gone elsewhere — specifically to the Brewers or Braves — LA's path back to the World Series would've been much tougher. Now that Skubal's in tow, though, Roberts seems more intent on pushing his limitations that doing so responsibly.
"You can see that when he needs to reach back for more, it's in there," Roberts said.
Sure, it's in there...but should it be utilized in a late-August start against the Pirates with the NL West division all but wrapped up? That's the question the Dodgers should be asking themselves right now, even after a start Skubal himself won't forget anytime soon.
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