The Los Angeles Dodgers made a roster move on Wednesday, activating reliever Blake Treinen from the injured list. However, in a surprising turn of events, the team also announced that starting pitcher Eric Lauer would be joining him on the injured list, further depleting a rotation that had previously been considered deep. This injury comes at a critical time as the Dodgers gear up for the final stretch of the regular season.
Lauer's placement on the injured list follows a rough outing against the St. Louis Cardinals, where he allowed seven runs in just three innings during a 13-8 defeat. The team has reported that the veteran left-hander is experiencing elbow inflammation, marking him as the third Dodgers starter to be sidelined in recent weeks. This situation raises concerns about the team's pitching depth as they aim for a strong playoff push.
In the previous month, Justin Wrobleski also faced injury issues, suffering from forearm inflammation. Although he returned to the team on Tuesday, he has since been moved to the bullpen for the remainder of the season as he works to address his struggles with giving up home runs. Additionally, Roki Sasaki was recently sidelined due to a blister on his right middle finger. While he may be ready to return for the upcoming series against Miami, the Dodgers are contemplating whether he should transition to a bullpen role as well.
Adding to the Dodgers' pitching woes, Shohei Ohtani was forced to alter his pitching plans after experiencing ongoing discomfort related to knee and biceps injuries. This series of setbacks has left the Dodgers with only a five-man rotation instead of the six-man setup they have utilized throughout the season. As a result, the team is expected to call up a pitcher, likely Emmet Sheehan, who was demoted to Triple-A a month ago due to mechanical issues, to make a spot start this weekend.
With Lauer's injury, the Dodgers are now tasked with finding a reliable replacement to join their current starting lineup, which includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow. As the Dodgers compete for a top-two seed in the National League playoffs, the urgency to solidify their rotation has intensified.
On a more positive note, Treinen's return adds an experienced arm to the bullpen, although he has struggled with consistency over the past two injury-plagued seasons. Treinen has been out since mid-June due to elbow inflammation, which has been a recurring issue for him. Prior to his injury, he posted a 3.52 ERA across 29 appearances this season, showing some improvement from his career-worst 5.40 ERA in 2025, but still falling short of the elite performance he has displayed during his tenure with the Dodgers.
In order to accommodate Treinen's return to the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred injured reliever Will Klein to the 60-day injured list as he continues to recover from his own elbow issues. This move will keep Klein out for the remainder of the regular season, although he may still be eligible for the postseason roster, depending on his recovery progress.
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