The Dodgers were overwhelming favorites to win the National League West, and they did so in convincing fashion, clinching the division with a week and a half still remaining in the season, the second MLB team this season to already clinch a division. But it didn’t always go as planned.
On Thursday in Cincinnati, the Dodgers had something old (Max Muncy two hits, including a two-run double; Freddie Freeman with two hits, a walk, and two runs scored), something new (Josue De Paula RBI single in his seventh game in the majors), and something borrowed (Seth Halvorsen, acquired by trade from the Rockies in July, getting the final three outs), which meant the NL West turned blue for the fifth year in a row and 13th time in the last 14 years.
Advertisement
Coming off consecutive World Series titles — the first MLB team to do so in a quarter-century — the Dodgers made big splashes in free agency, signing both the best closer on the market (Edwin Díaz) and best hitter on the market (Kyle Tucker) to record-setting contracts. Neither have worked out much at all in the first year. Díaz has been both terrible and injured, with the latter certainly fueling the former. Tucker has been severely underwhelming, especially at home, and is having the worst full season of his career.
Tucker was not alone among struggling Dodgers corner outfielders, as Teoscar Hernández was under threat of getting platooned, and coupled with poor defense from both players, both Tucker and Hernández were hovering only slightly above replacement level for most of the season.
Both have found something in September. Hernández, fueled by good health allowing him to find and execute his old swing, in his last 16 games is hitting a robust .375/.485/.679 with eight extra-base hits and 18 RBI, including a two-run home run in Monday’s win which clinched a playoff berth. Tucker had a two-run home run and two doubles in Thursday’s division clincher, fueling a red-hot .375/.467/.917 road trip with six extra-base hits, nine runs scored, and nine RBI in seven games.
It’s also been a second straight rough year offensively for Mookie Betts, but he has also turned things around by hitting .327/.431/.618 with a 187 wRC+ thus far in September.
Advertisement
Andy Pages hasn’t played in four weeks after a fastball broke his left hand, though he could be activated at some point on the upcoming homestand.
Will Smith didn’t play in the division clincher, but is back after missing three months with a neck injury. The All-Star catcher is slowly rounding into form, with hits in six of his last seven starts, including doubles in each of his last two of his last three games.
Shohei Ohtani is the Dodgers’ best player and they’ve gotten almost nothing from him since mid-August. His last home run was August 18, and in his 13 games played since had six hits in 49 at-bats with 21 strikeouts and 10 walks. He’s now on the injured list with right biceps inflammation, but could return as early as Tuesday, with five regular season games left to find his groove again.
Pitching for Ohtani is done for 2026, with a left knee ailment preventing him from pitching in a game past July 3. So the Dodgers are without a starter who had a 1.79 ERA and 2.73 xERA in 14 starts this season. But even without Ohtani the Dodgers traded for Tarik Skubal, who has been great and pairs well with steady star Yoshinobu Yamamoto atop the rotation.
Advertisement
Justin Wrobleski made the All-Star team this season as a starting pitcher in a breakout year for the left-hander, and will likely pitch in bulk relief in October. He started and pitched three innings in Thursday’s division clincher, and retired all nine batters he faced.
Just like in 2025, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow missed over half the season on the injured list but returned for the stretch run, seemingly setting the Dodgers up to have another formidable October rotation quartet like last year. But Snell left his start on Wednesday after only one inning with left groin tightness, adding another question the Dodgers must answer in the next two weeks.
Edgardo Henríquez pitched himself into higher and higher leverage situations this year, but succumbed to lower back discomfort this week, leaving his postseason status in doubt.
There are several problems the Dodgers will need to solve to maneuver their way through October. But they will start from a familiar place, as division champions, even if it didn’t go exactly as they might have envisioned.
Read the full article here
