How can Dodgers recover if Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow miss major time with injury..
Tyler Glasnow joined Blake Snell on the Dodgers’ IL on Monday, after dealing with “whole body soreness” (?) and ultimately going down with shoulder inflammation (the same issue Snell’s dealing with). Glasnow became the 13th pitcher to hit the Dodgers’ IL when it became official. In his absence, they staged a bullpen game on Tuesday ahead of Tony Gonsolin’s first start since August 2023.
Even with Gonsolin back, that’ll leave the Dodgers with just four starters when, early into spring training, they were trying to whittle down to five thanks to a surplus of arms. Despite their best efforts, the Dodgers have ended up exactly where they were before the 2024 trade deadline and down the stretch into the postseason — missing starters with no clear timelines to return and a heavy reliance on the bullpen.
Shoulder inflammation is notoriously hard to come back from and tends to leave team doctors scratching their heads. Snell was shut down from throwing last week and you never know with Glasnow, who is infuriatingly breakable.
Gonsolin coming back should lend the Dodgers some relief, but they’ve also refused to start any of their pitchers without an extra day of rest this season. How are they going to cope if Snell and Glasnow are out for the long haul?
Dodgers look like they’re in big trouble if Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow get stuck on the IL
The Dodgers can, and probably will, exhaust their internal solutions first. Tuesday’s bullpen game could be the first of many, and Dave Roberts has said the Dodgers would be willing to stretch rookie Ben Casparius as a temporary starter. Casparius has been solid out of the bullpen, but if he doesn’t pan out, the Dodgers’ Triple-A depth options — Justin Wrobleski, Landon Knack, and Bobby Miller — are far from trustworthy.
Clayton Kershaw is also expected to rejoin the team in mid-May, which isn’t terribly far off, but he’s another guy the Dodgers will want to treat carefully and give at least an extra day between his starts.
There’s always the possibility of a trade, but that would be a last resort. Trying to pull of a massive deal for a quality starter in late April/early May would just highlight the Dodgers’ desperation and probably lead them to pay more than they actually should.
So, for now, we should expect bullpen games (and most likely, reliever injuries, because isn’t that always the way?) and maybe Wrobleski, Knack, or Miller resurfacing in the majors. It’s pretty bleak.
3 early Los Angeles Dodgers trade targets ahead of 2025 deadline..
The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the league’s best teams, but even they could afford to bring in some new talent via trade..
The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off a World Series championship in 2024 and are off to another great start. However, injuries to Los Angeles’ pitchers and a lack of depth in the outfield are points of concern for Dave Roberts. As teams start thinking about potential trades and upgrades they want to make to their lineup, the Dodgers need to consider all of their options.
Rumors have gone around that Los Angeles could be willing to move on from Bobby Miller, but they need to bring in a sufficient return. Their bullpen outside of Tanner Scott is inconsistent. Andy Pages is a great defensive center fielder, but needs depth behind him. Luckily for the Dodgers, there are underwhelming teams that could be willing to deal if the price is right.
Los Angeles annually spends more money than the majority of the league, and it pays dividends every year. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was signed from Nippon Professional Baseball and is the ace of a Dodgers rotation that is riddled with injuries. Shohei Ohtani is the crown jewel and will accumulate a dragon’s hoard worth of money over the lifetime of his 10-year contract. However, the team isn’t perfect.
Here are three players that Los Angeles could target to fill the holes on their roster as they continue their bid for back-to-back titles.
Miami Marlins Reliever Anthony Bender
When looking at the Dodgers, their injuries are probably the biggest knock against them one month into the season. Blake Treinen is on the 60-day injured list and isn’t throwing yet as he recovers from a forearm injury. Behind him, Los Angeles has a bullpen that is shaky when it comes to their setup pitchers. Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, and Kirby Yates are all good in short stretches, but Roberts would love to have another arm to help deliver leads to Scott.
Anthony Bender is quietly having a good season with the Miami Marlins so far. However, he isn’t receiving as much attention as he might deserve because the Marlins aren’t in a position to make any serious noise in their division. Their ace pitcher, Sandy Alcantara, is one of the biggest names expected to move at the deadline to a contender looking for an upgrade on the pitchers’ mound. If Bender heads to Los Angeles, though, he could be the Marlin that has the biggest impact this season.
The 30-year-old would walk into a drastically different situation with the Dodgers than in Miami. Some players that head to Los Angeles struggle to swallow their pride and accept a smaller role amongst the teams stars. However, Roberts does a great job of getting the most out of his role players, and Bender could be his latest success story.
Los Angeles Angels Outfielder Taylor Ward
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The two teams that share the City of Angels rarely ever trade players with one another. To be fair to the Angels, they are likely still bitter over the fact that Shohei Ohtani chose the Dodgers over them when he was a free agent. However, what’s past is past and each team is in a different spot one month into the 2025 season. The Angels are starting to come down to earth after a surprising start, and Mike Trout joins multiple Dodgers on the growing list of stars who are hurt.
The Angels have a couple of intriguing veterans that could be moved to a contender if they continue to lose. Taylor Ward might be the best player who is reasonably available, and many teams would be interested in him. The 31-year-old is a veteran with eight years of experience in the league. His balanced approach to the game makes him a great glue guy for a team to bring in as they try to reach the next level.
Ward is primarily a left fielder, but throughout his career, he filled in for Trout in center field when he was out of the lineup. His value to Roberts would be as another option when it comes to his outfield depth. Pages is a solid player, especially in the field, who is finding his way at the plate. However, there is almost no depth behind him, so bringing Ward in is a viable option.
Pittsburgh Pirates Outfielder Tommy Pham.
In the same vein as Ward, Tommy Pham is a veteran player who would bring depth to the Los Angeles outfield. However, Pham is a much more realistic target because of his relative age and lack of offensive pop when compared to Ward. Pham has played for ten different teams throughout his career, but his movement around the league isn’t because he underperformed. On the contrary, teams that are making playoff pushes bring him in to provide a steady hand in the field and at the plate.
Pham recently served a one-game suspension after a hand gesture towards an Angels fans, but his value remains. At the end of the day, the 37-year-old carries a much more affordable price tag. If the Dodgers feel that they need another body to spell Pages throughout the back half of the season, Pham isn’t a bad option at all.
At the end of the day, the Dodgers will be in a great position no matter what they do. Perhaps all the team needs to do is wait for their pitchers to return from the IL. At full strength, they are one of the best groups in recent Major League Baseball history and are the favorites to add another World Series to their trophy case. However, bringing in an impact player via trade provides a boost that could have a big impact, even on a team this good.
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