Saturday, June 20, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris,

While the Los Angeles Dodgers have the best record in the major leagues, they have injuries.

The major leagues don’t have a lot of teams with elite talent. It’s not the money on the payroll that makes a championship. Every ownership group can have a satisfactory payroll, but they don’t know how to allocate their resources to provide adequate support for their players. Getting big superstar names doesn’t bring victories. However, having depth is essential to a successful team.

With a labor dispute possibly coming over a salary cap, every fan is fixated on the payroll of every major league team. True, the Dodgers have the highest payroll, but teams cannot buy championships. This fact has been proven over and over.

The Dodgers have invested in player development, analytical studies, player health and nutrition, and facilities. This allows them to recruit the best players available. All teams should pursue the best players available. Andrew Friedman has admitted that he thought he was wasting time when he was recruiting Freddie Freeman and Edwin Díaz, but when their old teams turned their backs on them, these players became Dodgers.

If the Dodgers hadn’t established depth, they would be in trouble.

Will Smith has a neck issue. Originally, the Dodgers didn’t think it was an IL situation, but it lingered. On Friday, Dave Roberts said that Smith had imaging done and will get an injection to help with the pain. Smith may be back on the next homestand.

In Smith’s absence, Dalton Rushing has done a fantastic job handling the pitching staff and performing offensively. He drove in the winning run on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles.

Teoscar Hernández, the left fielder who provides much offensive production from the right side, has been out since May 28^th with a left hamstring pull. On Monday, he will start a rehabilitation assignment, and he should be able to participate in the San Diego Padres series next weekend.

Alex Call and Ryan Ward have done well in left field. Call brings energy and intensity to the Dodgers. His speed makes the Dodgers more dynamic. Ward is finally getting a chance to show what he can do on the major-league level after spending nine years in the minors.

Kiké Hernández tore an oblique two days after returning from offseason elbow surgery. He will be ready to go out on a rehabilitation assignment soon. He should return after the All-Star break. Alex Freeland has taken advantage of this opportunity to prove he belongs in Los Angeles. He has a good eye for the strike zone while playing superior defense at second base.

While the Dodgers are missing position players, they are missing more pitchers, but they still have the second-best ERA in the major leagues. If the injured pitchers could return and perform up to expectations, the Dodgers would perform even better in the second half.

Evan Phillips, returning from Tommy John surgery last June, is on a rehabilitation assignment and has been impressive. He can be back before the All-Star break. He would give Roberts another closing option until Díaz returns from having loose bodies removed from his pitching elbow in April.

Brock Stewart will be going out on a rehabilitation assignment next week. In May, he returned from shoulder surgery last September but was hampered by a bone spur in his foot.

In Phillips and Stewart’s absences, Will Klein and Kyle Hurt have performed well. Klein has shown his Game 3 in the 2025 World Series wasn’t a fluke. Hurt, coming off his own Tommy John surgery in June 2024, has been phenomenal even though he had a control hiccup in early June. Although Tanner Scott has rebounded from a difficult 2025 season, Phillips’ return will let Roberts have an option instead of overexposing Scott.

On Friday, Díaz threw a bullpen session, throwing fifteen fastballs, ranging 91-93 miles per hour, for the first time since having surgery. Next time, he will mix in sliders. Soon, he will throw a live batting practice before going on a rehabilitation assignment, when he will need from three to five games to be ready.

Blake Snell has been throwing long toss after his elbow surgery to remove loose bodies in May. He might have a bullpen session soon. He will return at some point this season. In his absence, Eric Lauer has performed better than expected with a 3.22 ERA in four games with the Dodgers.

There is no news on Tyler Glasnow. His back is still balky. The Dodgers have done imaging and shown no structural damage. Nobody knows when Glasnow can return. His absence allowed Roki Sasaki to mature into a good major league starter.

While the Dodgers have the biggest payroll, they used their money wisely. Without good depth and player development, they couldn’t have survived the injuries.