The Los Angeles Dodgers will be missing Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for some time. General manager Brandon Gomes addressed the injuries, according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. Gomes feels the club will stick to their trade deadline plans as a reaction.
“I actually don’t think it meaningfully changes anything at this point,” Gomes told me. “With the expectation that those guys are gonna be back for the postseason.”
A pitch struck Betts’ hand, causing a fracture. His healing time is likely to last six to eight weeks. Yamamoto’s ailment, a strained rotator cuff, will most certainly keep him out for longer. However, the Dodgers expect him to return at some point this season.
Brandon Gomes: Injuries Won’t Impact Trade Deadline Plans
Losing Betts and Yamamoto is a major loss. Betts is hitting.304/.405/.488 and has more walks than strikeouts this season. This year, his Outs Above Average is -4, but his Defensive Runs Saved is +4. His 3.5 fWAR ranks second in the National League behind Shohei Ohtani. Meanwhile, Yamamoto has a 2.92 ERA through 14 starts in his major league debut.
It’s understandable that the Dodgers won’t panic and shift gears. Los Angeles is 46-30, the only team in the NL West with a winning record. The Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, and San Diego Padres are all below.500. Each of these three teams is close to ten games behind. This provides the Dodgers greater breathing room and a strong chance of winning the division again. FanGraphs postseason odds give the Dodgers a 95.8 percent chance of winning the West.
The Dodgers Still Have a Healthy Team
The Dodgers still have a healthy rotation despite Yamamoto and Walker Buehler being out due to injuries. Tyler Glasnow, Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, and James Paxton have all produced impressive numbers. Landon Knack is on the 40-man roster and currently pitches in Triple-A. Knack might potentially replace Buehler. Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, and Kyle Hurt remain available to return from the injured list following the All-Star break.
Despite their considerable starting pitching depth, the Dodgers will find a way to get through the rest of the season. The bigger question will be whether they have enough to form a solid postseason rotation.
Harris’ report says the Dodgers will prioritize high-impact starters, such as Garrett Crochet and Jesús Luzardo. Both of those pitchers will command significant asking rates in return.
The Thinking is Similar at Shortstop
Miguel Rojas has taken over for Betts, so Los Angeles can get by for now. Rojas is an excellent fielder who doesn’t stand out at the plate, with a career slash line of.259/.312/.357. However, he is enjoying a good season, hitting.288/.33/.448 in 2024. While Betts is out, it is not surprising that the Dodgers will keep an eye on the middle infield market in the coming weeks. Gavin Lux has played a lot of second base, but his batting average is.212/.261/.383. Chris Taylor plays both infield and outfield, but like Lux, he has a brutal.155/.211/.177 line. Cavan Biggio is only on board to provide extra infield help while Max Muncy is out.
No matter what the Dodgers do, Betts will remain at shortstop. If customers prefer a more experienced choice, Harris recommends Bo Bichette and Willy Adames. Other shortstop targets could be Paul DeJong or Tim Anderson, who is doing worse than last year.
