In a time when it felt like nothing may go flawed for the Dodgers, one thing went flawed.
Hours earlier than the Dodgers took the sector for the primary of a four-game set in Milwaukee, they came upon that two-time All-Star Walker Buehler was being shut down for the yr.
Buehler, who final pitched in June, was anticipated again for the postseason. He was going to slip proper again into his position as one of many aces of this employees — a man with tons of expertise pitching in October.
As a substitute, the Dodgers will depend on the blokes they’ve all yr — Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, and Tyler Anderson — to hold this employees. It’s unclear whether or not Clayton Kershaw shall be wholesome come postseason time, however Dustin Could, who’s coming off Tommy John surgical procedure of his personal, is scheduled to start out this Saturday’s sport in opposition to Miami. The Dodgers have additionally loved one spectacular begin after one other from Andrew Heaney, however he’s struggled to remain on the sector.
A postseason rotation of Urias, Kershaw, Anderson, and Gonsolin can be supreme for the Dodgers, with Heaney consuming up innings out of the pen and Could transferring into the 2020 Urias-type position of closing out video games.
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If Kershaw is unable to return, then the Dodgers will look to Heaney to open video games, or may resolve to depend on Could — however they’ll must see how he progresses over the following few weeks.
The Dodgers will principally must look towards Anderson and Gonsolin to proceed their dominant seasons, regardless of their lack of postseason expertise — Anderson has pitched seven profession postseason innings whereas Gonsolin has pitched 13.1. Buehler, for reference, has pitched practically 80 playoff innings.
Any method you place it, it’s an enormous loss for the Dodgers. Buehler, who already had Tommy John surgical procedure in 2015, may have his season-ending elbow surgical procedure on Aug. 23.
It’s unclear whether or not will probably be a second Tommy John surgical procedure, however his availability past this season will certainly be one thing to regulate.
Wanting ahead
Kershaw, Anderson, and Heaney are all upcoming free brokers, whereas Buehler is ready for 2 years of arbitration.
The Dodgers might be left with simply Urias and Gonsolin on subsequent yr’s employees, and can absolutely must look so as to add some reinforcements. Bobby Miller, the Dodgers’ No. 2 general prospect, might be a candidate to step into the rotation. He, together with one other prime prospect Gavin Stone, simply acquired a promotion to Triple-A.
The Dodgers may also look to the free agent provide for beginning pitching. The workforce signed each Anderson and Heaney to one-year offers this previous offseason, and despatched them into the Mark Prior college of pitching to show them into two of essentially the most dominant pitchers in baseball.
There are undoubtedly some guys that Andrew Friedman may have his eyes on that I gained’t be capable of predict, however I’ll throw one identify into the combo as somebody to be careful for.
The Angels will nearly definitely entertain affords for two-way celebrity Shohei Ohtani this offseason. Ohtani is ready without cost company after subsequent season, and the Angels can be silly to play out the season and let him stroll. The Dodgers, after holding off on a Soto commerce, have greater than sufficient firepower to strike a deal, and can be the right match for Ohtani. He may keep in Los Angeles, play on one of many premier groups within the nation, and, most significantly, expertise successful for the primary time.
The Dodgers most likely would have known as the Angels this offseason anyway, however the Buehler harm makes the trail even clearer.
