LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Dodgers have struggled to find reliable starting pitching this season despite bringing in multiple arms over the last two offseasons.
Entering May, the Dodgers were already missing left-handed pitcher Blake Snell, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder discomfort.
That list grew when right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki were added with their respective arm injuries this month, leaving the Dodgers with just two arms from their Opening Day rotation: Dustin May and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Dodgers’ lack of starters has shown statistically this season, as the team ranks dead last in innings pitched from their starters, with just 224.1 innings pitched this season. They also have the 7th-worst ERA (4.36), 20th-worst FIP (4.49), and 9th-worst WAR (2.0).
Since May 1st, those stats have only continued to get worse. The Dodgers have the third-lowest innings pitched mark (85.1) from their starters and the seventh-worst ERA in the span (4.96), all while only averaging 4.2 innings pitched from their starters.
In turn, that has caused a massive strain on the Dodgers’ bullpen, which has been called upon more than any team in Major League Baseball this season, pitching 210.2 innings.
Despite being overworked this season, the Dodgers’ bullpen ranks well in multiple pitching categories:
- 5th in K/9 (9.70)
- 2nd in BB/9 (2.91)
- 8th in LOB% (75.2%)
- 7th in WAR (1.7)
- 3rd in SIERA (3.15)
However, they’ve also struggled in some areas, particularly home runs. The bullpen has the 4th-worst HR/9 rate at 1.32, as showcased last night during Tanner Scott‘s blown save against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The collective units’ ERA also sits at 4.06, which is the 18th-ranked in the league. That number has continued to climb this month, rising to 4.70 in 74.2 innings pitched.
It’s an unsustainable situation and type of play, and even Dodgers manager Dave Roberts agrees.
“It just seems like certain guys – and I could go back on each starter – but you’re still trying to manage their health and … [be] mindful of the innings that the bullpen is taking on and trying to stagger as much you can, and manage leverage and all that stuff,” Roberts said recently.
“Absolutely not, we (don’t) want to lead the league in bullpen innings.”
The unfortunate issue with the Dodgers’ pitching staff is that what they have now is what they’ll have for the foreseeable future.
Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow each just resumed their throwing programs and are weeks away from returning. Shohei Ohtani just started throwing offspeed pitches in his bullpen sessions and is eying a post-All-Star break return.
So, for now, the Dodgers will need to rely on veteran Clayton Kershaw and second-year starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is in the driver’s seat for the National League Cy Young race. Righty Dustin May hopes to stay healthy for a full season, and young starters Landon Knack, Justin Wrobleski, and Bobby Miller are going to be depended on for spot starts throughout the regular season.
During their series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Dodgers showcased the formula for success. Each of their starters went six innings or more in all three games, limiting the use of the bullpen in their series win.
The Dodgers will now embark on a more difficult task, playing multiple teams with winning records over the next few weeks, including a weekend series against the New York Mets this Friday.
In short, the Dodgers will need more from their starters. Their bullpen is on a path to being overused, and that will catch up with the team, whether it’s in August or October.
Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
