With Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow firmly re-establishing their presence in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation alongside Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the starting staff is the strongest it’s been this season.
Because of that, the Dodgers are in a good position to finally take some of the load off the bullpen’s shoulders.
Injuries and heavy usage have contributed to the ineffectiveness of some Dodgers relievers, costing them valuable games as they battle it out with the San Diego Padres in the National League West once again.
With a full complement of starters now available, the Dodgers plan to lean more heavily on their rotation, but Ohtani’s workload will remain the same.
“We’re running a six-man rotation, they’re getting extra rest,” manager Dave Roberts recently said. “My thought is to push them more, but the situation has got to call for it and they’ve got to allow for me to give them that opportunity.
“You look at [Aug. 11], I couldn’t have given Yoshi more. Those are things that in a perfect world, I’d love to give him an extra inning. Absolutely.”
The Dodgers had taken a firm stance that Ohtani would not go more than five innings in a start at any point this season, but Roberts more recently left open the possibility for some change.
However, it’s clear the team believes a five-inning threshold should be sufficient in helping them get through a game and asking any more of Ohtani would not be worth the risk to his health.
If the situation ever does call for an extra inning from Ohtani, it won’t be because Roberts is chasing a game in the NL West standings.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “I think the process that we’re going through with Shohei, the approach, I believe in it and Shohei is comfortable with it.
“And I just don’t feel that trying to push because of the standings is a smart thing to do. If we do get to six innings, it won’t be a reflection or response to anything going on in our division.”
Despite any short-term gains it may provide, the Dodgers are not willing to make that risk.
“It’s not easy when you’re in it and you’re competing, but he’s just such a valuable player to us offensively and as a pitcher,” Roberts said. “So to kind of push for an extra inning, or call it five extra innings in totality, it’s not worth it. There’s just way too much downside instead of staying the course.
“We all feel comfortable with our plan right now.”
Dodgers starting pitching stats
Dodgers starters have a combined 4.04 ERA this season, but the group has been improved during August. Their ERA for the month is 3.35, starters are averaging nearly six innings per outing and their 27.8% strikeout rate is the best among starting rotations in August.
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