The Los Angeles Dodgers pitching staff has been decimated by injuries in the early part of the 2025 season, which has also put a strain on their healthy arms and depth.
The good news is the Dodgers also have a lot of injured pitchers trending in the right direction. They also can find some solace in none of their pitchers have suffered a season-ending injury to this point.
The bad news is, they’re still weeks to months away from getting any reinforcements that are desperately needed.
The closest pitcher to returning is Michael Kopech, who is set to pitch in his fourth rehab game on Tuesday. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Kopech also threw a bullpen session on Sunday, and came out of it well.
Kopech is still unlikely to be activated until closer to June 7, which would be the end of his 30-day rehab assignment, but it’s encouraging progress as the team currently does not have a high-leverage right-hander in their bullpen.
Dodgers updates
Tyler Glasnow
Tyler Glasnow has been on the 15-day injured list since the end of April because of right shoulder inflammation, but he is only in the early stages of his throwing program and continues to make progress.
He is getting closer to throwing a bullpen session, but that won’t come before the Dodgers head on the road.
“Before the end of the homestand, no,” Roberts said. “He was out to, I think, 120 (feet) today. Was good.”
Blake Snell
Blake Snell made just two starts before he landed on the 15-day IL with left shoulder inflammation. Snell, like Glasnow, is also in the early stages of his throwing program after being shut down.
“Blake was out to 60 or 90 (feet), something like that,” Roberts said. “I was watching him throw. It looked good.”
Roki Sasaki
Roki Sasaki was put on the IL on May 13 due to a right shoulder impingement after he tried to pitch through discomfort for multiple starts.
Sasaki was shut down from throwing until the pain and discomfort subsided, and he may have reached that point.
“I know he’s not picking up a baseball, but my assumption is there’s no pain,” Roberts said. “Hopefully right now the soreness has kind of dissipated. But I don’t know.
“I think once he picks up a baseball, we’ll have a better idea. But I do think he’s pain-free right now.”
Sasaki has not yet started playing catch, but Roberts expects that to begin soon.
“I don’t know when he’s going to play catch. My assumption is he’ll start playing when we get on the road trip, so he’s probably going to wait a few more days,” Roberts said.
Evan Phillips
Evan Phillips landed on the IL due to right forearm discomfort after pitching in just seven games for the Dodgers. He also began the year on the injured list and missed the first 21 games.
Phillips received a PRP injection last week for lingering pain and already had been shut down from throwing after an MRI revealed inflammation in his right elbow.
Roberts suggested Phillips is going to be out for a while as he still has not started playing catch.
Blake Treinen
Blake Treinen landed on the IL with a low-grade right forearm sprain in the middle of April. After a few weeks of not throwing, Treinen is in the process of his buildup.
He played catch for the third time on Monday, and things seem to be going well for the right-hander.
“I’m happy. The throw is really coming out well,” Treinen said. “We’re just kind of in the process of building. Just baby steps. Still a process to get back, because you’ve got to build up the integrity of throwing.”
The expectation when Treinen landed on the IL was that he would be out for a while. He has since been moved to the 60-day IL and faced a long buildup process as well.
“I don’t really know how long certain injuries take or whatnot, but I knew I was going to need time,” Treinen said. “Now it’s just build up the integrity. It’s weird.
“Normal day-to-day stuff, you don’t really notice it. But this is what I have to do for a living, so as long as I don’t notice it when I throw, then we can continue to progress.”
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!