SAN DIEGO –– So much for all that supposed pitching depth the Dodgers thought they would have when the season began.
Over the last couple weeks, the team suffered its first substantial losses in the starting rotation, after Tyler Glasnow went on the injured list with back spasms and Blake Snell developed loose bodies in his elbow that required surgical intervention.
Just like that, the club needed starting pitching reinforcements less than two months into the year.
Where they once hoped they would have internal options to call upon in such a roster crunch, however, the Dodgers were instead forced to look outside the organization to find some short-term help.
Over the weekend, the team acquired veteran left-hander Eric Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays, after he was designated for assignment with a 6.69 ERA in his first eight outings this season. On Monday, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said Lauer would slot into the club’s six-man rotation once he is added to the active roster.
As likely only a temporary fill-in, the 30-year-old Lauer isn’t the worst solution.
Just last year, he had a 3.18 ERA in 28 outings (15 starts) for the Blue Jays during their run to the World Series. This year, his numbers have been bloated by an unusually (and, the Dodgers are betting, unsustainably) high rate of home runs hit against him.
“He’s shown signs of being effective, but not quite to the level of last year,” Gomes said. “We know the makeup is really good, and we’re looking forward to getting our hands on him and helping him be as successful as he’s been in the past.”
Still, the fact that the Dodgers had to dig through the DFA scrap heap to address their first pitching shortage of the season is a reminder that organizational pitching depth is never as tangible as it might appear.
Before acquiring Lauer, the club had only one real internal candidate to consider in former top prospect River Ryan. While Lauer has barely averaged 90 mph with his fastball this season (something the Dodgers are hoping to improve as he joins the team this week), Ryan hit 100.9 mph in his most recent start with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
That outing, however, marked Ryan’s first time on the mound in more than a month, following a stint on the minor-league injured list with a hamstring problem. It was also just his third appearance so far this season; his first since recovering from a Tommy John surgery that cut short his promising debut campaign in the majors in 2024.
Because of all that, the Dodgers are still handling the 27-year-old right-hander with kid gloves.
Having yet to pitch more than four innings in a game this season, they want him to build a sturdier foundation before bringing him back to the big-league level.
“(He’s) obviously incredibly talented, and back to full health and throwing the ball really well his last outing,” Gomes said of Ryan. “But we need some time to get River built up. He needs to get out there and be able to pitch deeper into games before we feel good about bringing him up here.”
The fact the team just went out and added Lauer suggests Ryan’s reintroduction is not imminent –– at least, as long as there aren’t any further rotation losses in the near future.
The real problem is that Ryan was already the last man standing among the depth options the Dodgers thought they’d have this year.
Another one-time top prospect, Gavin Stone, suffered a setback in his return from shoulder surgery during spring training, and hasn’t yet progressed beyond simple catch play. Other potential alternatives, such as Landon Knack and Bobby Miller, are also on the 60-day injured list.
It’s hardly a new issue for the Dodgers and their annually injury-prone pitching staff.
It’s why Gomes quipped he’s “never” surprised when they find themselves scrambling for help the way they have this past week.
“It’s the reason why you try to go in (to the season) with as much depth as you can, knowing that things can happen,” Gomes said. “You just hope that they don’t pile up all at the same time, which has happened as of late.”