by Cary Osborne
If the Dodgers win their last game of the year in October, they’ll have quite the compelling story to tell.
The story could include that somebody or some bodies took it to a new level, something unexpected happened or someone got healthy and overcame extreme adversity.
With 14 games left in the regular season, Dodger starting pitching is in a quandary.
Manager Dave Roberts said Tyler Glasnow — the Dodgers’ Opening Day starter and top-of-the-rotation starter — is “highly unlikely” to return this season due to a sprained elbow.
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The starting rotation looks like this right now: trade deadline acquisition Jack Flaherty, two pitchers still trying to find their rhythm in Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller, rookie Landon Knack and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who returned this week after missing three months.
Flaherty was uncharacteristic in the Dodgers’ 10–1 loss to Atlanta on Saturday — a season-high four walks and a season-low three innings while allowing four runs.
Dodger starting pitching has the highest ERA in the Majors in September.
Right now it’s more questions than answers.
Will Clayton Kershaw — with a bone spur in his left big toe — and Gavin Stone — with right shoulder inflammation — be back and what will they give?
Kershaw is throwing bullpens, but in a non-traditional manner off a portable ramp.
Tony Gonsolin, a year out from Tommy John surgery, threw two innings in a rehab game on Wednesday. His return to a Major League mound this season is not expected.
That leaves the starting rotation with arguably the most uncertainty it has seen all year.
But the story the Dodgers tell could also be one about the offense.
The offense — fully healthy, built to handle opponents regardless of handedness, grind out pitchers and score big — wasn’t there against the National League Cy Young Award favorite Chris Sale on Saturday. They scored once in six innings against the Atlanta ace.
The success story has been told, though. Recently, in fact.
The 2023 Texas Rangers weren’t exactly at full strength on the pitching side last season heading into October. Their two expected aces for the season were Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer. deGrom’s season ended in April and Scherzer missed the final 2 1/2 weeks of the regular season and was limited in the postseason.
Corey Seager got hot. Trade deadline acquisition Jordan Montgomery was a difference-maker — as was veteran starter Nathan Eovaldi. And a team that went 8–8 in its final 16 regular season games and had a 3.83 ERA in the postseason was good enough to win its final game in October.
The Dodgers face a difficult road, but not one untraveled was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.