Welcome back to the Dodgers Beat newsletter! As Spring Training nears, we'll take a look at how the Dodgers stack up around the diamond. We've covered catchers, infielders and the outfield. Next up: the rotation. |
After winning the 2024 World Series despite the state of their starting pitching, the Dodgers went back to back in '25 on the strength of their rotation. Last season, the Dodgers assembled what they believed to be arguably one of the deepest and most talented pitching staffs in franchise history. It took some time before they saw their vision come to life, as injuries struck during the first two-thirds of the year. But once the rotation was at full strength, it was dominant down the stretch and during the postseason. The Dodgers are returning all but one of the six-man rotation they ended last year with, as the legendary Clayton Kershaw retired after the season. Even with the possibility of Blake Snell not being ready in time for Opening Day, L.A. has enviable starting-pitching depth heading into 2026. Here's a deeper look: Rotation: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan, Roki Sasaki |
The first five on this list were nails when healthy last season. Then there's Sasaki, who remains one of the Dodgers' biggest unknowns. Following a temporary stint as the Dodgers' postseason closer, Sasaki is returning to starting pitching. He began last year in the rotation but posted middling results, going 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA in eight starts before landing on the injured list for more than four months with a right shoulder impingement. Sasaki used his time on the IL to work on his mechanics and continue to develop his arsenal, but he relied only on his four-seam/sinker combo upon returning to the Dodgers. He told Japanese media at DodgerFest that he has been working on a cutter and a two-seamer this offseason, which could help him stick in the rotation moving forward. Another question for the Dodgers is whether Snell will be part of the season-opening rotation. He spent four months on the IL due to left shoulder inflammation last year, and lingering discomfort in that shoulder caused him to slow-play his throwing program this offseason. He feels much better now but is ramping up deliberately, and the Dodgers won't rush him to be ready for March if it means compromising him later in the season. There may also be workload management considerations for Glasnow, given his injury history, and Yamamoto, who is pitching for Samurai Japan in the World Baseball Classic and coming off the most innings of his young Major League career. The same goes for Ohtani and Sheehan, who are both gearing up for their first full pitching seasons after major elbow surgeries (not to mention Ohtani's two-way duties). Depth: Gavin Stone, River Ryan, Landon Knack, Ben Casparius, Kyle Hurt, Bobby Miller, Justin Wrobleski |
The fact that Stone and Ryan would appear unlikely to break camp with the Dodgers speaks to the depth of the rotation. They missed all of last year due to major surgeries (right shoulder surgery for Stone and Tommy John surgery for Ryan), and while both are full-go this spring, neither has pitched in an affiliated game since 2024. That makes them more likely to begin the year with Triple-A Oklahoma City, although perhaps that could change depending on Snell's status. For the others in this category, there's some overlap with the Dodgers' bullpen options. In particular, Casparius, Hurt and Wrobleski could each feasibly make the Opening Day roster as a reliever, but they could also be valuable rotation depth. Even if they don't fully stretch out as starters during Spring Training, it would make sense for them to at least prepare for a multi-inning role to give the team options down the line. Not on the 40-man |
The Dodgers' most notable ranked pitching prospects are a ways away from the Majors. Jackson Ferris, who ended 2025 as MLB Pipeline's No. 6 Dodgers prospect, has yet to reach Triple-A but could be a name to watch later on in '26. Once Spring Training begins, some of the Dodgers' non-roster invitees could also put themselves on the rotation depth chart. The team has yet to formally announce its NRIs, but that could include pitchers like veteran left-hander Cole Irvin, who recently signed a Minor League deal to join the organization. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
The full rosters for the upcoming World Baseball Classic were announced Thursday night on MLB Network, and several Dodgers are playing in the tournament. All the Major Leaguers were previously known, but the organization has some Minor Leaguers participating as well: - Edwin Díaz (Puerto Rico)
- Jake Gelof (Israel)
- Hyeseong Kim (South Korea)
- Antonio Knowles (Great Britain)
- Shawndrick Oduber (Netherlands)
- Ohtani (Japan)
- Will Smith (United States)
- Yamamoto (Japan)
Notably, there are also a few Dodgers who either previously played in the Classic or stated their intent to play this year, but are ultimately not participating. Sasaki pitched in the 2023 tournament but is not representing Japan this time around. Miguel Rojas wanted to play for Venezuela, but he was unable to due to insurance issues. Freddie Freeman, who's previously represented Canada, is not participating this year for personal reasons, citing a need to stay closer to California this spring.
The World Baseball Classic runs from March 5-17, beginning with pool play. |
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