This time, they’re not thinking too much. This time, they have no choice.
The Dodgers will start Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the opening game of their National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres on Saturday, but not necessarily because they trust him more than Jack Flaherty.
In the regular season, Yamamoto never pitched a traditional five-day cycle. Flaherty did.
If the Dodgers stuck to their original plan of starting Flaherty in Game 1 and Yamamoto in Game 2, only Flaherty would be available to return for a potential Game 5. By swapping spots in the rotation, both would be available, one as starter and the other as a reliever.
The implication: The Dodgers know their bullpen could be completely depleted by then.
October is here and the Dodgers once again have a problem with starting pitchers. Not even spending more than $500 million last winter could spare them their annual tradition of entering the postseason with no idea what they’ll get out of their rotation.
The Dodgers won more regular-season games than any other team in the Major Leagues, but they are talked about around the world as if they were underdogs in the NLDS. The initial release is the reason.
Yamamoto, the rookie $325 million Japanese import, has pitched just 16 innings over the past three and a half months. Flaherty, their prized deadline acquisition, saw a notable decline in his fastball velocity in his final two regular-season appearances.
At this point, the most likely candidate to give them a quality start might be Walker Buehler. Overall, the former All-Star hasn’t pitched well in his first season back from his second Tommy John surgery, but he limited the Padres to one run in five innings in the Dodgers’ win last week.
Buehler is expected to start Game 3. The Dodgers are expected to turn to a bullpen game with rookie Landon Knack if the series reaches Game 4.
This could become the same old story for the Dodgers. Their rotation may be a little better than it was last year and a little worse than it was two years ago, but they’re pretty much in the same place they were when they were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks at this stage. of the postseason in 2023 and eliminated in four games by the Padres in 2022.
When asked about his assessment of his team’s pitching, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman quickly shifted the conversation from the starters to the bullpen, which he called, “a real strength.”
“The more success we have in October, and for us to win 11 games [para ganar la Serie Mundial]”I think our bullpen is going to play a big role in that,” Friedman said.
But how many innings can the bullpen cover?
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches against the Mets in April.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Yamamoto has the highest ceiling among the starters, but in recent weeks he has suffered an illness that has affected his performance, which has caused his outings to be shorter and he has not been able to extend them as planned. In the four starts he made in September after returning from a midseason shoulder injury, the most he pitched in a game was five innings.
Flaherty averaged fewer than five innings in his last three outings. Buehler pitched one of his best games of the season against the Padres last week, but his early retirement was an indication of how the Dodgers view him now.
The Dodgers should be able to survive a best-of-five NLDS, especially with off days scheduled after Games 2 and 4 that will allow them to readjust their bullpen. The National League Championship Series and the World Series will be completely different stories. In a seven-game series, either Yamamoto or Flaherty, or even both, will have to make a significant number of innings for the team to have a chance. Someone will have to provide relief to the relievers.
How could the Dodgers find themselves in this situation again? How could the Dodgers be in danger of wasting another historic offensive season because of a long-standing problem?
They could blame injuries to their starters, including Gavin Stone and River Ryan. They could point to the disappointing progress of flamethrower Bobby Miller. Ultimately, however, they wouldn’t have the problems they have now if their big spending had worked out as they expected. They spent $325 million on Yamamoto and $136.5 million on Tyler Glasnow, and the injury-prone Glasnow won’t even be available to pitch in these playoffs.
Earlier this week, Friedman was in northern Japan to watch Roki Sasaki, the 22-year-old right-hander for the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Considered the most promising talent in the country since Shohei Ohtani, Sasaki has a 100 mph fastball and would be the Dodgers’ target regardless of his situation. As he stands, Sasaki is a must-have signing for them this winter, provided the Marines make him available.
Sasaki would be classified as an international amateur player if he moves to the majors this offseason, meaning he could only sign a minor league contract. Joining a rotation that could also include Ohtani next season, he would represent a cost-effective remedy for the team’s costly mistakes.
But until the Dodgers sign Sasaki, or another upgrade, they will have to live with their mistakes. By now, the consequences are all too familiar.
