A notable player is currently on the injured list, and while there’s optimism regarding his postseason participation, this isn’t a story about Shohei Ohtani; it’s centered on Aaron Judge.
This year, the Los Angeles Dodgers are entering the playoffs with more uncertainty than usual. Ohtani is dealing with issues affecting his right arm and left knee, and then there’s the bullpen, which is struggling. The offense has shown some signs of life, but mainly against weaker teams, leaving them in a similar boat as many other contenders.
Every team heading into the postseason has its share of injuries or issues, including the Dodgers’ potential World Series opponents, the New York Yankees.
The Yankees have largely been without Judge for the summer; upon his return from the injured list earlier this month, he had little impact in the six games he managed to play. Now, he’s back on the IL due to a calf strain, and the team isn’t making any guarantees about his availability for October.
“It’s a wait-and-see situation,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone shared with the media. “We’re working on getting him back.”
Projected as the No. 2 seed in the National League, the Dodgers are likely to receive a first-round bye, setting them up to face either the No. 3 seed Atlanta Braves or one of the three wild-card teams in the divisional round — potentially the Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, or Chicago Cubs.
Each of these potential opponents has its own struggles.
The Braves are without former All-Star Spencer Strider due to elbow issues and are thin on starting pitching apart from Chris Sale.
Although the Braves attempted to trade for Jacob deGrom from the Texas Rangers at the deadline, the two-time Cy Young winner exercised a no-trade clause and blocked the move.
DeGrom’s refusal could have impacted the Braves significantly, as they were left with Tyler Mahle as their sole midseason pitching addition. Mahle has exceeded expectations since joining from the San Francisco Giants but only recently dropped his earned-run average below four.
The Phillies were seen as a threat due to their strong rotation, featuring two standout left-handers, Jesús Luzardo and Cristopher Sanchez. However, Luzardo is now on the IL due to shoulder issues, while Sanchez has struggled recently with a 4.70 ERA over his last six appearances.
The Phillies also face difficulties in their bullpen, often struggling to get the ball to closer Jhoan Duran. Setup man Jonathan Bowlan has particularly faltered this month, with a 6.75 ERA and allowing runs in five of his seven outings.
The Padres have one of the top bullpens in baseball, led by closer Mason Miller, but the real question is whether they can maintain leads against capable teams when it matters in the postseason.
They feature Michael King in their rotation, along with Nick Pivetta, who has struggled with injuries and only started seven games this season; Casey Mize, with a 6.64 ERA post-trade; and Robbie Rays, who has a 5.52 ERA since transferring from the Giants.
At least the Padres have a reliable No. 1 starter.
The Cubs might be in trouble too. They boast the best player this season in Pete Crow-Armstrong but could find themselves pitching Clay Holmes in their postseason opener. Holmes, who was acquired from the New York Mets, has a 4.26 ERA in eight starts with Chicago.
This is still better than their other trade-deadline acquisition, Kevin Gausman, who underperformed for the Blue Jays and hasn’t done any better for the Cubs.
Adding to their woes, third baseman Alex Bregman took a foul ball to the face while in the on-deck circle recently and had to be rushed to a hospital for scans.
The Brewers might have the best overall record in the majors, but they are not without flaws. Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson are their only starting pitchers with ERAs below four.
Historically, the Brewers have not fared well in the postseason; for example, they faced a sweep by the Dodgers in last year’s NL Championship Series.
None of these challenges diminish the Dodgers’ own troubles. They remain uncertain about what Ohtani can offer in October, need to monitor Blake Snell carefully after he left a recent game early, and still have to clarify their bullpen roster.
Yet, they are not on their own.
