LOS ANGELES — The road less traveled is just fine for some.
The Dodgers have opted for an oddly familiar journey this season, which is giving off more 2025 vibes than it should, even if last year’s ultimate goal was met.
Having one starting pitcher repeat an unwieldy path from a season ago is one thing. The Dodgers have the same three on a nearly identical road as last season.
Left-hander Blake Snell returned from an injury earlier this month, around the same time he returned to action last season. Right-hander Tyler Glasnow will return for a start on Tuesday in Atlanta after missing the past three months-plus with back discomfort.
Glasnow missed all of May and June last season because of a shoulder injury before returning in time for the ramp-up to the playoffs.
And with Shohei Ohtani’s status as a pitcher in doubt because of left knee soreness, he is now expected to be back by the next homestand, which begins on Sept. 1.
Despite the injury woes, the Dodgers still have been good enough to be among the best teams in the National League.
The injuries were concerning enough less than a month ago, though, that the front office went out and added left-hander Tarik Skubal to the mix. The two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner is still working through his transition, but his most recent outing over the weekend suggested a better sense of comfort.
“We feel good about it,” Manager Dave Roberts said in the most understated of ways. “I’m excited to see Tyler back. I know he has missed competing, worked hard to get healthy, got his pitch count up and is now finally ready to participate. It’s going to be a fun series against the Braves. It will be good to get Tyler back in the mix.”
Glasnow’s return allows the staff to finally give their full attention to Ohtani’s progress. Roberts said Sunday that Ohtani will have one more bullpen session this week, likely in Atlanta. After that, it is up to Ohtani to decide what to do next.
Assuming the decision really is in Ohtani’s hands, it is hard to see anything but a major league appearance up next.
“Really excited,” Roberts said, stating more of the obvious. “I think from one side, it’s good for us to feel like every single night we have a chance to win with the starter. On the other side, it’s daunting as an opposing offense to look at the probables and you see Glasnow, (Yoshinobu) Yamamoto, Snell, (Roki) Sasaki, and then potentially Shohei. So from our standpoint, you feel like you can keep sustaining this run that we’re on right now.”
Adding starters, though, means finding room in a crowded rotation. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (forearm) has been on the injured list for a week now, and left-hander Eric Lauer already has been moved into a long-man role out of the bullpen, although he hasn’t been used in that spot yet.
Tuesday will mark a full week since Lauer has pitched, making him eligible to work multiple innings the next time the situation arises.
“He’s in the bullpen right now,” Roberts said. “I don’t know if he’s going to start again. … We don’t have a specific start day for Eric.”
Lauer was bumped from his starting role despite his success since joining the Dodgers in May. He is 7-1 with a 3.76 ERA in 12 appearances (11 starts).
But the Dodgers already have shown how much they value the veteran. Lauer was mentioned in trade rumors, with the Dodgers electing to keep him at the deadline with a specific role in mind.
“If there’s games where I could keep him extended or if there’s a potential piggyback situation, those are the two options,” Roberts said.
The “piggyback” days clearly would be as the pitcher who picks up bulk innings behind Ohtani when he begins what is expected to be a rapid ramp-up into a pitcher who can handle at least five innings in an outing by the time October arrives.
In yet another nod to the 2025 path, Ohtani will follow a spring training progression and add on an inning each time he is called on to pitch.
“Glasnow on Tuesday and then Sho’s working his way back,” Snell said. “I mean, yeah, it’s going to be a lot of good competition within the starting rotation. I’m really excited about it.
“Being able to watch some of the best pitchers in the game and learn from them – their mentality, the way they attack – having those conversations are very big. I’m definitely grateful to be on the same team but a lot to learn.”
Outfielder Alek Thomas has only been with the Dodgers for a few days, but knows this rotation well.
“I’ve seen it from the batter’s box,” Thomas said in reference to his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks. “So for me to see it from a different perspective in the outfield is pretty special to see just how good they are. These past few days have been really cool and I’m excited to see what comes next.”
Ohtani’s return would leave one more rotation adjustment to make. And in yet another call from the 2025 playbook, Sasaki is expected to go to the bullpen to mirror his September return from injury last season. Roberts is refusing to talk about that part of the plan, for now.
“I do know that once you get to a certain point, you get the best guys that are available, that are upright, that are throwing the baseball well, and we sort of just plug in the roles,” Roberts said.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (RHP Tyler Glasnow, 3-0, 2.72 ERA) at Braves (RHP Bryce Elder, 8-7, 3.92), Tuesday, 4:15 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM, 1020 AM