Dodgers’ season lingers on the starting rotation
The Los Angeles Dodgers season lingers on the starting rotation.
The MLB season hasn’t even reached the halfway mark of the season, and the Dodgers injury struggles have led to struggles on both sides of the field.
These injury struggles have costed the Dodgers first place a top the NL West, and showing signs of a team that may not be able to play at the caliber of the elite teams in the National League.
Which makes sense, when you look at their 14-18 record against the top five teams in the National League, excluding the Dodgers.
Thankfully, Clayton Kershaw is having one of his best season of his career.
He has been taking the Dodgers on his back and keeping them a float in the playoff hunt, as they currently sit as the top team in the Wild Card race.
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Sadly Clayton Kershaw is on the DL and the Dodgers will need for the rest of the rotation to step up, as the Dodgers starting rotation behind Clayton Kershaw has been on a rollercoaster this season, with Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda, and Julio Urias taking the lead in starts.
If the starting rotation does nothing while Kershaw is out and the offense doesn’t get to clicking, the Dodgers will have a long road ahead of them for their fourth consecutive playoff trip.
Then they will have plenty of decisions to make before the end of this season; to get the team back on track.
Now the Dodgers could pull it off, but the Dodgers have to try to stay on the field and play like the $2.5 billion team they are.
Luckily the Dodgers added another arm to the starting rotation, with the acquistion of Bud Norris on Thursday, which turned out so far to be a good acquistion for the Dodgers.
Norris continues his hot streak of starts with his first game with the Dodgers, by posting a 6 inning shutout, while striking out 8, and giving up only 1 walk and 2 hits.
This is coming off a 4-1 record, with a 2.15 ERA in his last five games with the Braves.
The Dodgers as well can count on more help in the near future, with Brandon McCarthy set to come off the DL and start Sunday’s game against the Rockies.
Hyun-jin Ryu is currently on rehab assignement and Brett Anderson is set to come back after the All-Star break, which will help to add even more depth to the starting rotation.
The Dodgers offense as well has to become more balanced and stop depending on the bats of Corey Seager, Chase Utley, and Adrian Gonzalez.
Trayce Thompson, Joc Pederson, Justin Turner, and Yasiel Puig have been good for the Dodgers, but have been inconsistent at times throughout the season.
If the Dodgers continue to play like their last two series against the Pirates and Brewers, then they will not be going on their fourth consecutive playoff trip.
If the Dodgers do get more balanced on both sides of the field, it will give them a higher chance to take the top Wild Card Spot, and may be able to challenge the San Francisco Giants for the NL West.
Right now the Dodgers need to forget about the past, the concerns that are upon their team, and need to end the first half of the season on a strong note to get some momentum to start the seond half of the season.
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Clayton Kershaw may be able to come off the DL and pitch the first game after the All-Star break.