Dodgers: What dilemmas do the rest of 2025 face in Chávez Ravine?
In the absence of 31 regular role -playing games, what dilemmas do Dodgers face to repeat as MLB champion?
Los Angeles Dodgers avoided the sweep in front of San Diego Padres, on Sunday, although he was not able to avoid the rise of his division rival to the top of the standing they now share. Before starting the season, there was already talk of the trabuco that was this team that perhaps, at this point in the calendar, it should leave alone with a good stretch of advantage at the top of the west of the National League.
A chain of injuries from the beginning of the campaign forced the manager Dave Roberts To modify the flight plan and so far the ship has kept balanced.
So what dilemmas does Dodgers face for the remaining section of the season?
In the absence of 31 games in the regular calendar, the current MLB champion needs to take off from San Diego in the west of the national. While Dodgers have important batters, lodges due to injury and pitching are pending subjects. A strong battle for the division leadership that those of Chávez Ravine have dominated most of the role, however, there are concerns about the table to determine whether they will achieve the flag or not.
The good news for the Dodgers is that they have an advantage over parents in the domain, (9-4), which will be worth them to end themselves in case of reaching the end of the season with the same record, as they woke up this Monday, tied at the top (74-57). Now, we will have to see if Shohei Ohtani can load with the team, if Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith can sustain the offensive rhythm and if the pitching will resist.
Ohtani sealed a 2024 dream season, was the leader of home runs and races produced from the National League, opened the 50-50 department (54 homers and 59 base robberies) and helped Los Angeles to conquer the World Series against New York Yankees, it was a round year for the Japanese, who this season, the first for him as a two-road player ( pitcher) With Dodgers, it is far from 2024, because although their offensive numbers are very good, they are not equally eclipsents, especially in productions and base theft.
It seems that the double responsibility divides the contribution of the Japanese, who does not mark the overwhelming rhythm of 2024. This time, the work from the mound to the Japanese is limited, in 27.1 innings it has an effectiveness of 4.61 and a record of 0-1, with just 35 strikeouts in 10 outputs, all openings. Undoubtedly, the team has taken it very carefully after the injury that moved him away from the mound in 2024.
The dilemma falls to whether Dodgers should put aside the Ohtani launcher function and focus it on making their magic to the offensive. That will be a Dodgers decision for the closure of the season, but everything indicates that they will prefer to have the two -way player, although this means a decrease in his contribution with the Madero. Today, Ohtani is the leader of the National in Scored (122), home runs (45), slugging (.619) and PAHA (1,008).
Freeman, the most valuable player in the last World Series, after averaging .300 in five games, with a triple, five home runs and 12 produced, adds 18 home runs in the season and is a double beat Rogers Hornsbywho shot 541.
Teoscar Hernández is a spark plug. He is second in doubles of the team, with 24, only behind Freeman (32); He arrived on July 3 to a thousand games in his Ligamayorist trajectory and when he lights he is lethal, as he did in three consecutive games in which he struck at least one homer, between June 12 and 14 of this year. Last season, his first with Dodgers, shot 33 homers and produced 99 races, his greatest amount since 2021. This year he is on the way to sign very similar numbers, as he has 21 home runs and 77 produced.
Smith is a fundamental piece in the team, not only with the Madero, but with his wisdom to carry the pitching, his launch framing and his ability to withdraw enemies based. Until now, he is the leader of the National League, along with Carlos Narváez, by Boston Red Sox, in men retired in the attempted robbery (25). In addition, it is tied in the fourth position of unstoppable extra base with 35 and home runs, with 15, among the national league receptors. Among the batters, he leads the old circuit in ObP (.403) and is fourth on average (.297), in addition, it is fourth on average batting with runners in the position of scoring (.352), which increases his worth, because he responds in key moments.
The Dodgers long to have Kiké Hernández (elbow) back, outside, at least, until August 29; Max Muncy (oblique) and Tommy Edman, (ankle), both inactive until after September 2.
Pitching is a great question, a real dilemma.
Before this Sunday’s game, Dodgers was in position 18 on average of clean races admitted collectively (4.14), same position in allowed homers (153), on average of the opposition (.244) and in whip (1.30).
After losing Michael Grove, Tony Gonsolin, Evan Phillips, Giovanny Gallegos and Brusar Graterol for the whole season, among others, the body of pitchers has lived a kind of up and down. In fact, they are waiting to be back to the rookie Roki Sasaki (1-1 and 4.72 in 34.1 innings), signed with very high expectations, and with whom they did not count more after eight outputs due to shoulder problems. It could be back after August 29.
In the bullpen those who have lived up to it are Alex Vesia and Ben Casparius, with 22 and 13 Holds, respectively, in addition to the newly activated of the list of injured Kirby Yates (13 holds), with everything and that has a much smaller share of tickets released, and Tanner Scott, who has saved 19 games.
It will be very interesting to see if Yoshinobu Yamamoto, no matter how much the best arm of rotation, can withdrawn solidly until October, in addition, its brand is not perfect (11-8, 2.90); As well as seeing what guarantees a veteran like Clayton Kershaw, sublide of team victories, who boasts 8-2 record, with 3.13, can offer.
The depth of the Dodgers bank has given them buoyancy, we will have to wait to see how they behave in the last three tens of regular campaign games and if the manager Dave Roberts Find a horse that can support the team to win the division and transcend in postseason.
Information from Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB was used in this note.
