The Los Angeles Dodgers entered 2025 hoping to put last year’s pitching woes behind them. Instead, they’ve found themselves in familiar, frustrating territory. Injuries have once again ravaged the pitching staff, with 14 pitchers landing on the injured list so far this season. Starters Blake Snell (60-day IL) and Tyler Glasnow (15-day IL) headline a growing list that includes key relievers Kirby Yates, Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, and Michael Kopech.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Roberts, Friedman Talk Honestly About Pitching Injuries
“It’s not the staff we thought we’d have this season,” manager Dave Roberts admitted. “But I feel that what we still do, and have done in the past with injuries, we’re not doing. And I say that in the sense of getting ahead of hitters and keeping them in the ballpark.”
The Dodgers’ 4.28 team ERA ranks 22nd in the majors, and their rotation ERA sits at 4.51 — sixth-highest in MLB. It’s a sobering reality for a staff once considered among the deepest in baseball.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman offered a measured perspective. “It still doesn’t feel like last year… In some ways, maybe we’re over-indexing some and just being a little more cautious,” he said. “But there’s a lot we don’t know about injury stuff… It’s by far the No. 1 thing that keeps me up at night.”
On the field, inconsistency reigns. Defensive struggles — including 18 errors, the third-most in MLB — and lineup shuffling due to position player injuries have compounded pitching challenges. Monday’s loss saw Hyeseong Kim misplay a fly ball during his first MLB start in center field.
After four straight losses and six defeats in their last 10 games, frustration is mounting. Still, the Dodgers are focused on weathering the storm. “We still got to make sure our defense is tight enough to give the pitchers the best chance to have success,” Roberts said.
Patience, more than anything, may be L.A.’s most important asset as they await the return of a once-dominant pitching core.