Coming off a 2024 World Series win and a very busy offseason, the Dodgers looked like a wrecking ball ready to crush the competition and put another Commissioner’s Trophy in the display case. But this is baseball—and things rarely go as planned.
The season started off with shortstop Mookie Betts falling ill and losing over 20 pounds. A few weeks in, the team lost both Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman, who had been swinging hot bats. Now, several All-Stars are slumping, and a staggering 14 pitchers are on the injured list—including offseason additions like two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell and Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki.
Despite all this, the Dodgers recently picked up their 51st win of the year and currently hold the second-best record in MLB, trailing only the Detroit Tigers. On Thursday afternoon, they beat division rivals the Colorado Rockies 3–1 behind a strong performance from future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, who pitched six innings of one-run ball.
More importantly, Kershaw struck out six batters—bringing his career total to 2,997 strikeouts. That puts him just three away from joining the exclusive 3,000 Strikeout Club, becoming its 20th member and only the fourth left-handed pitcher to do so, alongside CC Sabathia, Randy Johnson, and Steve Carlton. He is expected to reach the milestone next week at home, likely against the Chicago White Sox.
While this historic moment is something to celebrate, many questions remain about the state of the team.
Outfielder Michael Conforto, signed in the offseason, has struggled badly. After a rough start, his bat has stayed cold, slashing just .173—among the worst in the league. Meanwhile, another offseason acquisition, Hyeseong Kim, is batting a stellar .383, yet continues to play only every third or fourth game. Conforto’s defense may justify some playing time, but fans are rightfully asking: If Kim is hitting this well, why isn’t he starting more often?
Injuries continue to be the Dodgers’ biggest obstacle. As mentioned, the team has 14 pitchers on the injured list. The current rotation includes a dominant Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.61 ERA in 16 starts), Dustin May returning from injury, and the recently reactivated Kershaw. But with so many injuries, the bullpen is stretched thin, often covering two full games per rotation cycle.
Blake Snell, who signed a $182 million deal this offseason, still hasn’t faced live hitters. Roki Sasaki may be done for the season, as manager Dave Roberts recently said fans should “get used to life without Sasaki.” Other bullpen arms like Kirby Yates (another
offseason signing) are out, and Tanner Scott—once expected to be the team’s closer—has struggled mightily, though recent adjustments have shown promise.
The Dodgers made aggressive offseason moves to account for depth, but with no end in sight to the injury wave, fans are asking: Is this just the plan? Will the team limp through the regular season and suddenly become the juggernaut everyone expected come October?