The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies meet up again Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park in what is shaping up to be an exciting National League Division Series opener. Over the last two years, these two teams have dominated the NL regular season, making this best-of-five matchup a critical series that just happens to be occurring one round too early.
The bullpen of the Los Angeles Dodgers was by far the team’s biggest weakness this season and could be one of the primary reasons why the club is playing in the wild card without a first-round bye. With a 4.12 combined ERA and 26 blown saves, the relief crew went from what was expected to be a strength to an obvious vulnerability. Players like Michael Kopech and Brock Stewart are now out of the picture, while other arms like Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen and Kirby Yates have been struggling badly.
Continue reading “Dodgers Roster: Will a Rebuilt Bullpen Boost Playoff Push?”
Three-time National League Cy Young Award winner, 11-time All-Star, 2014 NL MVP and two-time World Series champion Clayton Kershaw announced today that he will retire from the Los Angeles Dodgers as a player at the end of the 2025 season. He will make his final Dodger Stadium regular season start when the Dodgers host the San Francisco Giants on Friday evening.
As the Los Angeles Dodgers approach the final weeks of the 2025 regular season, many questions are surfacing about a potential playoff roster. Among those in the headlines right now surround how they will handle Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old Japanese youngster who hasn’t pitched in the majors since May due to a shoulder impingement.
When the Los Angeles Dodgers assembled what was considered one of the team’s most talented rotations in years, Clayton Kershaw wasn’t expected to be a huge part of it. With Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, and the eventual return of Shohei Ohtani to the mound, the 37-year-old future Hall of Famer seemed destined for a complementary role at best.
Continue reading “Clayton Kershaw Stepping Up When Rotation Needs Him Most”
The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the weekend series against the Houston Astros holding the best record in the National League, but their pitching depth was about to be exposed in the most humbling way possible. What unfolded over the first two games at Dodger Stadium served as a stark reminder that championship aspirations built on offense alone rarely survive the rigors of October playoff baseball.
Continue reading “Should Dodgers Pursue Pitching Help at 2025 MLB Trade Deadline?”
Lefty Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers has become the 20th pitcher in MLB history to record 3,000 career strikeouts. The 37-year-old Dallas native reached this historic milestone at Dodger Stadium against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, striking out Vinny Capra with two outs in the sixth inning.
Continue reading “Clayton Kershaw Notches Strikeout No. 3000”
It still could be quite a while before the Los Angeles Dodgers see any help for their starting rotation. The team’s hopes for getting healthy reinforcements back hit significant snags this week, as both Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell faced setbacks in their respective recovery timelines. What was once optimism about imminent returns has changed into growing concerns about when either pitcher will be ready to contribute.
For a franchise accustomed to championship-caliber starting pitching, the current state of the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation reads more like a medical journal than a depth chart. What was supposed to be one of baseball’s most formidable starting fives has instead become a casualty ward, leaving the defending World Series champions scrambling to piece together innings.
Continue reading “Dodgers Roster: More Thoughts on Battered Starting Rotation”
Lefty legend Clayton Kershaw will make his long-awaited season debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday against the Angels, marking his return to a major league mound for the first time since August 30 of last year. The future Hall of Famer enters his 18th season with the team — tying Bill Russell and Zack Wheat for the most in franchise history — following a challenging recovery from separate surgeries on his left toe and knee.
Think Blue Planning Committee 