LOS ANGELES – Amid a series of numerous injuries to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team continued to produce well-rounded performances despite an incomplete lineup.
Spearheaded by shortstop Mookie Betts’ fractured hand and right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s rotator cuff strain, the Dodgers are missing some key contributors. However, since the two stars were sidelined, the team has gone 4-2, weathering the storm relatively well.
“It’s been good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before Saturday’s win against the Angels. “The way we played, I love it. The fight. I think the results were average, and I understand. But we are still trying to win every game. I like the way the guys are playing and competing.
“It’s a team effort,” he continued. “Obviously, Shohei [Ohtani] and Freddie Freeman have been swinging the bat extremely well. But it has to be a collective effort. Shohei had a great night [on Friday]and we mark [only] two races, so everyone has to do their part. We have to play well in defense. We need a good pitching performance too.”
Dodgers outfielder Jason Heyward — who has had some solid games recently, including a grand slam against the Colorado Rockies — believes that while the injuries are unfortunate, there is a positive lens through which to look at the situation.
“We hate missing Mookie, we hate missing Yamamoto, we hate missing anyone, especially great contributors to your team. But that’s part of the game,” he told Yahoo Sports on Saturday. “Nobody on any other team feels bad or anything like that.
“How you weather the storm is the name of the game. I think now is a good opportunity to get feedback to develop what we need to develop as individuals. When not everything is going your way, how do you react?”
Case in point: Saturday’s 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels was exactly the kind of response Roberts was hoping for from his team. Ohtani was stellar as always, launching another two-run home run 459 feet, but it was the other guys, particularly at the bottom of the lineup, who stood out.
Gavin Lux had two hits, including a much-needed home run considering his lack of production recently. Miguel Rojas and Cavan Biggio also had two hits each, in addition to two walks from Heyward. For Roberts, complete offensive games like this serve as evidence that his team is compensating through committee rather than relying on heavy hitters.
“I think for a lot of this year we’ve been kind of heavy,” he said after the game on Saturday. “Will Smith hasn’t been right the last few weeks in terms of hitting, and then other guys have to pick up the slack.
“To put these guys in the deep [of the lineup] Collectively, this just makes our offense difficult to navigate. You just don’t want to go too heavy, like we’ve been doing for much of the year.
From a pitching standpoint, Tyler Glasnow’s departure on Saturday showed the richness of the team, as well as the level of depth in the Dodgers’ rotation. Glasnow recorded 10 strikeouts, allowing just two hits and one earned run. If he can continue to put in performances like this, it will help alleviate any pressure to bring back Yamamoto or even Clayton Kershaw.
Outside of Betts and Yamamoto, Kershaw is probably the most notable name on the IL. The former Dodgers ace is recovering from offseason surgery to repair his throwing shoulder. He threw a bullpen on Saturday but reported soreness afterward. He is now expected to take a week off before resuming his rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Roberts made it clear Saturday that he is in no rush to get the veteran back on the mound. “It will be talking to him, talking to the training team, seeing if he feels good,” he said. “…If he feels good, great. If that doesn’t happen, we will continue moving forward until it is ready. We have time.”
Walker Buehler was another missing piece in the Dodgers’ rotation. According to the businessman, Buehler’s recovery is a little different from Kershaw’s.
“I think Walker is trying to figure out who he is as a pitcher right now,” Roberts said. “Where is his body. He is much heavier and stronger than he was before surgery. [Trying to] find out how your body is moving in relation to pitching mechanics and delivery. So it’s going to be a process.”
On the hitting side, Max Muncy is another important player who is out due to injury. The two-time All-Star was recently placed on the 60-day IL, and Roberts believes he still has a long way to go in terms of returning to play.
“He’s not swinging the bat yet,” he said. “He’s running, he’s throwing, he’s hitting the ground, so all of that is in mind. But the big variable is swinging the bat. I think it pushes him past the All-Star break — I think that’s what 60 does.”
Roberts said that without Muncy, the lineup lacks a “potential slug,” “a guy who’s going to do well [base] 38% of the time” and general continuity from nº 1 to 6.
That said, injuries can come with a silver lining. Gavin Stone has pitched well to replace Yamamoto’s production. Likewise, if Lux’s exit against the Angels was any indication that his bat is heating up, it could pay dividends when it comes to improving what has been a bottom-of-the-line lineup. As Heyward said, the opportunity that comes with injuries has given others a chance to prove themselves and their worth.
It also helps that the Dodgers have an 8.5 game lead in the NL West, giving them some breathing room to deal with these injuries without having to worry about the San Diego Padres or Arizona Diamondbacks catching them in the division. But even so, there remains a possibility that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman could take action to improve the roster at the trade deadline.
“I think you can always get better,” Roberts said. “I think this is fair for any team that is in the race and trying to acquire talent at the deadline. For me, everything we have is enough, but the board is always trying to improve. Whatever they decide to do, we will adjust.”
And meanwhile, there’s Ohtani. For the second time this season, he won NL Player of the Week with a .458 average, 11 RBI, three doubles, four home runs and an absurd 1.650 OPS while leading the way in Betts’ absence. In fact, Ohtani has been so good that Roberts will have an interesting choice to make when Betts returns.
“Once Mookie comes back, which is still going to happen, it’s just a matter of seeing what’s the best way to build the lineup,” Roberts said after Saturday’s win. “Knowing that Shohei can hit is comforting. Mookie is obviously our leadoff hitter, but how he can navigate the left-right-right, left-right-left situation as it seems, I think it’s a good conversation. We’ll see when we get there.”
While there is never a good time for injuries, there may not have been a better time this season for Betts and Yamamoto to get hurt. The Dodgers’ next three series will be against the White Sox, Giants and Diamondbacks, all sub-.500 teams. After that comes a tougher task against the NL-leading Philadelphia Phillies, followed by the middling Detroit Tigers before the All-Star break.
Even with the injuries, there is a clear path for the Dodgers to be fully healthy over the next two months, maintaining their division lead and still having the runway to prepare to win games in September and October.
