Monday, March 2, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

“Gavin Stone has suffered a setback,” Dave Roberts said on Monday morning.

Dodger fans are saying, “Oh, no.” What are the Dodgers going to do with two starters sidelined for Opening Day?

Opening Day isn’t important. It is ceremonial and exciting for everyone who loves baseball. No championship is won or lost on Opening Day. The Dodgers don’t even need a winning record in April or May to qualify for the postseason.

Sure, it would be easier. The Dodgers will be playing in October unless something drastic happens.

At 27, Stone is trying to come back from right shoulder reconstruction in September 2024. Last Tuesday, he made his Cactus League debut and impressed. His right shoulder had pain, but he tried throwing a bullpen session. The pain continued. Now, he isn’t throwing. The Dodgers hope Stone can be a major factor in their rotation in 2026.

Last week, Roberts said that Blake Snell won’t be ready for Opening Day. After missing a large portion of the 2025 regular season with left shoulder inflammation, he played a major role during the 2025 postseason. However, during the World Series, the pain returned, which affected his performance.

During the offseason, Snell underwent physical therapy to strengthen the troublesome shoulder.

He didn’t start throwing until the last week of January. He hasn’t been on the mound yet. The Dodgers are slow-playing Snell because they need his experience in the postseason and not in April or May.

Since the Dodgers have had pitching injuries yearly, Andrew Friedman prepares for this. About two weeks ago, Dodger fans were asking what the Dodgers would do with ten starters.

Now, who will fill the innings?

The Dodgers have told us who will comprise their starting rotation early in the season, barring another unforeseen injury. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan, Roki Sasaki, and Justin Wrobleski.

Will these pitchers be in the rotation in September?

Some will be. All won’t.

Emmet Sheehan hasn’t appeared in a Cactus League game yet because he has had the flu. Fans forget the Dodgers are humans and not robots. Sheehan will appear in a game later this week.

Coming off Tommy John surgery, Sheehan had a surprising 2025 season with a 6-3 record, a 2.82 ERA, and 89 strikeouts. At 26, he is ready to become an elite major-league starter.

Despite having a poor first appearance in the Cactus League, Sasaki has a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation. He needs this experience to mature into a good starter. Will there be speed bumps?

Absolutely. Sasaki will learn. His control will improve. He will figure out a third pitch, or he will accept a reliever role.

Although Justin Wrobleski has had more success as a reliever on the major league level, he has the ability to be an outstanding starter. He needs the opportunity to become a major league starter. He has sharp, unhittable stuff.

If anyone falters, the Dodgers have another left-hander named River Ryan. He had Tommy John surgery in August 2024. He is ready to rejoin the Dodgers’ rotation. He looked solid in his outing of spring. He needs to work on improving his command.

Without Snell and Stone to begin the season, the Dodgers will be fine.