Despite the team’s many injuries, the Los Angeles Dodgers have become the first MLB club to 80 wins. The Dodgers improved their league-best record to 80-34, after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0 on Monday night.
However, the Dodgers received news that Walker Buehler will have season-ending surgery. Buehler has been out since early June and was hoping to return late this season. The Dodgers will have to try to go deep into October without Buehler and they probably have the depth to do it.
Right-hander Dustin May is expected back; the team should also count on the return of Clayton Kershaw for October. If healthy, the Dodgers should have enough pitching depth to make a championship run.
It appears that the Dodgers are missing one big name every postseason run. In 2018, it was Corey Seager who was replaced by Manny Machado. Last year, it was Kershaw, and this year it will be Buehler. However, injuries are part of the game, and they happen to every team. Some clubs get luckier than others, but good ball clubs work through it.
The Dodgers can start Ryan Pepiot to fill in for those injuries. The right-handed Pepiot doesn’t have an easy task in front of him. The Brewers are in the middle of a pennant race in the NL Central, two games behind the St. Louis Cardinals.
Pepiot has been up and down with the Dodgers this year and made five previous starts. He’s posted a 3.92 ERA in 20 ⅔ innings and a WHIP of 1.45. Injuries have allowed Pepiot to make spot starts here and there, but the Dodgers having a deep team, haven’t allowed him to find a permanent place on the club. However, he should be able to crack an MLB rotation soon.
Speaking about the Dodger arm in the farm system, the Dodgers also made some personnel moves. Two of the highly touted pitching prospects in the Dodgers organization got closer to the big leagues. Right-handers Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone were promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Miller and Stone are the number 24 and 55 prospects in the farm system. If Miller and Stone continue to excel, they should get an opportunity soon, maybe not this season but sometime in 2023.
The Dodgers look to start another winning streak Tuesday with Pepiot on the mound, as the Brewers will start right-hander Brandon Woodruff. So far this year, Woodruff has posted a 3.52 ERA and has posted a 9-3 record.
The first pitch is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. Pacific.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
Current Dodger starting rotation, as of this Saturday:
Urias, Gonsolin, Anderson, Heaney, May
That’s a very good group, barring any further injuries.
Then, we hopefully have Kershaw joining the party by September.
And then Pepiot behind him.
It would be nice to get Gonsolin, Urias and Anderson a little rest before the playoffs but that would require some roster juggling.
I think it’s highly unlikely that we see Miller or Stone this year because that would involve putting them on the 40-man, which is overloaded to begin with. They don’t need to be protected until winter of 2023.
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Post season only requires 4 starters and Kershaw has never had much impact in the post season . We should be OK unless someone falters real bad which often happens. We have enough bullpen help coming off the dl to kind of bolster the starters. This pitching staff is far inferior to last year but is much better statically and feels right. Including Heaney Jeff.
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This team has more offense and a much better bench than last year. The line up has been explosive this year and has not relied on the home run, it has generated runs in different ways.
When Treinen and Graterol return I think except for Kimbrel this bullpen has more quality depth. Kimbel may figure out his control issues. Reportedly issues are not physical but mechanical and he has good velocity and movement. So there’s a chance he may turn the page and be very effective instead of very scary. Heaney hasn’t established the “New Heaney” yet back from rehab. If he can continue his pitching that would relieve my mind. But if you have 2-3 hot pitchers you can storm through the playoffs.
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