The Los Angeles Dodgers are limping into the All-Star break.
The team is coming off a sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies and have lost seven of the last 10. Many factors go into that tough stretch, but the strongest is likely the rash of injuries the starting pitching staff has suffered.
Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Walker Buehler are all on the injured list. Any hopes that top prospect Bobby Miller might be able to provide reinforcements were dashed after a brutal stretch for the 25-year-old that culminated in a demotion back to the minors earlier this week. All in all, seven of the 10 members of the rotation as listed by the team's depth chart are on the IR with various ailments.
As such, MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported on Friday that the Dodgers are "evaluating" trade options to shore up the staff and are expected to dive into negotiations in earnest after the MLB Draft, which runs from July 14-16. Morosi also noted L.A. expects to have Kershaw and Glasnow back in the rotation before August.
The situation is not ideal but far from dire in the big picture. The Dodgers are so loaded with talent that even with all the injuries they hold a seven-game lead in the NL West and boast the fourth-best record in baseball. What's more, L.A. has a chance to bounce back heading into the break with a three-game series against the 45-49 Detroit Tigers coming up this weekend.
But the Dodgers don't care about how the regular season goes. With all the money spent for top-end talent, their eyes are on the postseason. And if their injury luck continues on this pace they'll be very hard-pressed to make a deep run. Adding another arm or two will take the pressure off the big names down the stretch run of the season and may make a huge difference if another starter is sidelined.
Certainly a team to watch as the July 30 deadline approaches.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dodgers 'Evaluating' Trade Options to Shore Up Pitching Staff, per Report.
