Last season, the Los Angeles Dodgers finished the regular season with 100 wins and a rotation so ravaged by injuries that they were left with only the variable and limited forms of Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller and Lance Lynn for the playoffs.
They are well on their way to doing it again in 2024.
The Dodgers announced Friday They placed starting pitcher Gavin Stone, the only starting pitcher on their roster who hadn’t been injured this season, on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation.
Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations then told reporters Stone will be out of action for 10 days, with the viability of his return dependent on his condition at the end of that period. That time frame leaves very little time for Stone to be ready when the playoffs roll around.
Even before Stone’s injury, the Dodgers were already facing dire prospects when it came to available pitchers in October. Having a Shohei Ohtani-led lineup is fun, but you always need pitchers in the playoffs, and the Dodgers, well, let’s go over all the pitchers they could have wanted to pitch for them in the postseason.
Dodgers rotation injuries are something to behold
Clayton Kershaw:The longtime Dodgers ace underwent offseason shoulder surgery and didn’t return until July 25. After seven up-and-down starts, posting a career-worst 4.50 ERA, Kershaw returned to the IL because of a bone spur in his right toe that requires a walking boot.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto:The $325 million man was living up to his hype until a rotator cuff injury sidelined him in June. Fortunately, he’s expected to return Tuesday.
Tyler Glasnow:After starting the season as a Cy Young contender, Glasnow was placed on injured reserve on July 9 with a back injury, returned later that month, then was placed on injured reserve again with right elbow tendinitis. He and the Dodgers remain hopeful he can make a few MLB starts before the regular season ends.
Walker Buehler:A former mainstay of the team’s playoff lineup, Buehler returned from a second Tommy John surgery in May and was sidelined again in June with a hip injury after his ERA rose to 5.84. He returned in August and hasn’t looked much better since, with a 5.29 ERA in four starts, none longer than five innings.
Bobby Miller:The rookie who stood out last year has been a disaster this year. Miller was placed on the disabled list in April with shoulder inflammation and didn’t return until June. Since then, he has the worst ERA in the major leagues among pitchers who have pitched at least 40 innings, at 7.79. They demoted him to the minor leagues at one point, but he’s still struggling.
Gavin Stone:See above.
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