The Los Angeles Dodgers broke a two-game losing streak with a win against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday, holding onto their lead in the tough National League West division.
But as the team looks ahead to a 13th-consecutive playoff berth, it’s clear that the pitching staff is a weakness. With more than a dozen arms on the injured list and some of the key healthy ones struggling, concerns are growing.
The Dodgers were aggressive in bolstering the staff ahead of this season, bringing in the likes of Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell. Both of those players are now hurt and the team’s other high-profile pitching addition, a $72 million deal for All-Star closer Tanner Scott, has struggled.
Facing the New York Mets on Friday, Scott gave up three earned runs and blew his fourth save of the last 14 opportunities. It’s a concerning trend for a player the team was hoping to rely on.
“Having Scott blow games in which the team has already burned its best other relief bullets, and could potentially face the added burden of resulting extra innings, are all taxing side effects the Dodgers are not currently equipped to handle,” Jack Harris wrote for the Los Angeles Times.
Though Scott has also had some strong outings so far with the Dodgers, he broke his silence on the struggles by acknowledging a clear issue after that Mets game.
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“I’m not putting (hitters) away,” Scott said, per Harris. “I’m not getting the swing-and-miss, and I’m keeping the ball in the zone too much.”
As the Dodgers look to right the ship toward another deep playoff run, Scott will have a chance to recapture his shutdown stuff. But given their struggles to field healthy arms, the Dodgers are hoping that comes sooner rather than later.
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