Sunday, May 10, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

No one cared much about the details of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 7–2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. After all, Los Angeles lost to the best team in the National League.

From the first sentence, you think I am a tired and cynical Dodger writer, but this isn’t true.

I am writing about Justin Wrobleski, who is the forgotten man in the Dodgers’ starting rotation. Yes, he lost Sunday’s game and allowed seven runs in 8.2 innings.

When Blake Snell was preparing to return and before Tyler Glasnow suffered a back spasm, the media questioned if the Dodgers would remove Wrobleski from the rotation and put him in the bullpen.

Take it from me. Wrobleski will make a start every five or six days until the end of the season, barring injury. He is efficient. He threw 100 pitches in his long outing, giving the bullpen a much-needed break. He relies on his well-placed fastball and devastating slider to baffle the opposing hitters.

Wrobleski has six major-league-ready pitches in his repertoire. But, after a conversation with the future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw in 2025, he understands the importance of inducing soft contact and being efficient. He doesn’t strike out many batters. In his Sunday loss, the first of the 2026 season, he struck out seven. In his previous starts, he struck out on an average of two.

Unlike most major league pitchers, who chase strikeouts to get lucrative contracts, Wrobleski understands the team values length and victories. He dreams of pitching a complete game in the major leagues. He came close on Sunday. His own throwing error and the lack of offensive production caused him to lose his first game this season.

In 2025, the Dodgers desperately needed a starter like Wrobleski. Every game, they used their bullpen for at least three innings, and by the All-Star break, the bullpen was exhausted and ineffective. This year, although they have injuries to Edwin Dìaz and Brock Stewart, the Dodgers’ bullpen has been a strength with the third-best ERA of 3.35 in the major leagues.

If Wrobleski keeps pitching the way he is, he should be a contender for the National League Cy Young Award.