MLB Insider: Dodgers' rotation struggles headline postseason questions

The Los Angeles Dodgers have assembled arguably the most talented team in baseball history.

The offense is headlined by superstars such as Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith. Offseason addition Teoscar Hernandez has emerged as a key piece on offense and is a strong candidate to sign a long-term deal to remain in Los Angeles this winter. The offense is rounded out by Tommy Edman, Andy Pages, Miguel Rojas, Max Muncy, Enrique Hernandez and Austin Barnes, among others.

It’s a collection of talent unlike anything baseball has seen. The pitching staff, however, has always been the biggest question – and remains that way in the weeks leading up to the postseason.

Tyler Glasnow is on the Injured List and, as Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic noted, the right-hander has “a thin margin for a return this season.” Yoshinobu Yamamoto is nearing a return from the IL. Clayton Kershaw is out with a toe injury and his timetable to return is uncertain. Dustin May, Emmet Sheehan and River Ryan, meanwhile, are all out for the season.

Now, Dodgers right-hander Gavin Stone was placed on the Injured List with right shoulder inflammation. And it has the Dodgers’ pitching staff in a precarious position and has the front office planning to do a deep dive into limiting injuries moving forward.

“It’s been a really challenging year on that front and something that we’re going to need to spend a lot of time on this winter to really dig in on,” Friedman told reporters. “From when we onboard a pitcher, when we draft or trade for him, through the development path, at the major-league level, obviously, it’s a problem in the industry, and the injuries that are happening to us, we feel.”

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to, our weekly MLB newsletter, The Moonshot and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

Dodgers rotation issues aren't unique, but managing them is everything

The Dodgers are not alone in being decimated by injuries. The Atlanta Braves, one of the best teams in the National League, have lost Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley, Spencer Strider and others for significant portions of this season (Acuna and Strider are out for the season; Riley is out for the regular season, at least).

Figuring out the rotation will be crucial for the Dodgers moving forward. Right now, their postseason rotation would seem to feature Yamamoto, Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller and Landon Knack. And even that unit comes with significant questions.

Buehler, who returned from his second Tommy John surgery, has a 5.95 ERA in 13 starts and resembles little of the pitcher who finished fourth in Cy Young voting and had a 2.47 ERA in 2021. Miller, one of the Dodgers’ top prospects, has a 7.79 ERA in 11 games this season. Meanwhile, Knack has pitched well in limited action — 3.00 ERA in 11 games (nine starts) – but debuted this season and has no postseason experience.

The Dodgers have faced rotation issues in previous postseasons, so this is nothing new. But the rotation questions this season exceed any they have previously dealt with and Friedman and manager Dave Roberts need to figure it out soon. Their season would seem to depend on it.