MLBSep 30
Dodgers Face October Questions as They Chase Another Championship
Los Angeles has a bye and championship experience, but an uneven lineup, Ohtani’s health and rotation concerns complicate its title defense.
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Rest offers opportunity, not certainty
The Dodgers enter October pursuing a historic National League three-peat, but their path looks less secure than their star-studded roster might suggest. Los Angeles will face either Atlanta or Philadelphia in the NL Division Series beginning Saturday. The bye gives the oldest position-player group in baseball a welcome recovery window, though the Dodgers have previously struggled to regain momentum after that break. Their recent results against postseason competition offer another warning: Los Angeles lost its past five series against playoff teams, finishing a combined 2-14. Manager Dave Roberts has downplayed the relevance of those results to October.
Lineup still searching for consistency
Offensive production remains a central concern. The Dodgers posted a.699 OPS during July and August, ranking 22nd among 30 teams. In September, they hit.214 with runners in scoring position, while Freddie Freeman batted.184 with only one extra-base hit. There are reasons for optimism. Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández have shown improvement, Kyle Tucker finished with an encouraging stretch after changing his preparation, and Will Smith has looked closer to his usual form. Shohei Ohtani remains harder to assess. He returned from the injured list but went 5-for-21 with eight strikeouts in the final five regular-season games. Hard contact provided some encouragement, yet his limited September workload and lingering physical issues leave his postseason impact uncertain. He has already been ruled out of pitching.
Rotation progress comes with caveats
Tyler Glasnow has offered more reassuring signs, including 11 strikeouts against San Diego after carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Blake Snell also completed his final regular-season start healthy after a groin issue, allowing one run over four innings. Still, his disrupted season leaves questions about sharpness and durability. The Dodgers have benefited before from carefully managing their starters. With Ohtani unavailable on the mound, maintaining the recent progress from Glasnow and Snell becomes especially important.
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