Sunday, August 2, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

On Saturday, the Los Angeles Dodgers made a huge statement that they are seriously pursuing three consecutive World Championships.

Tarik Skubal, a two-time American League Cy Young Award winner, is a Dodger. The Detroit Tigers traded their ace for Zyhir Hope, River Ryan, and Brad Smith.

Did the Dodgers need another starter?

No, unless the Dodgers know something that a common fan doesn’t know. Based on recent performance, Sheehan appears to be the most likely starter to be removed from the rotation. Sheehan allowed four runs in 2.2 innings.

In the press conference, Andrew Friedman said that Eric Lauer is transitioning to a relieving role. Since Lauer has been a Dodger, he has been an incredible asset with a record of 5-0 in 9 games with a 2.96 ERA. While Lauer doesn’t have the same upside as Sheehan, he has performed much better than Sheehan, who has constant mechanical problems in 2026.

Blake Snell is scheduled to make one more rehabilitation start before joining the rotation. In May, he had loose bodies removed from his pitching elbow. Although everyone expects Snell to be Snell, nobody knows how he will perform.

Tyler Glasnow has been out since May 6^th with back spasms. Originally, everyone thought Glasnow would be back soon after going on the IL, but the back never calmed down until July. He is scheduled to go on a rehabilitation assignment on Monday, and if everything goes well, Glasnow should be in the rotation in September. However, during last postseason, he proved he could be a quality reliever. Unless the Dodgers obtain a reliever, Glasnow would be a secret weapon out of the bullpen.

Shohei Ohtani’s timetable to return to the mound is uncertain because he is dealing with a troublesome left knee and a sore right biceps. While he is performing as a hitter, he has struck out more than earlier in the season. Ohtani can’t go on the rehabilitation assignment to build up to make a major league-quality start. The Dodgers need Ohtani’s offensive production more than his pitching. They should decide not to pitch him until the 2027 season.

Justin Wrobleski has had a breakout season as a starter, but he is pitching more than ever during his major league career. The Dodgers don’t want Wrobleski, who has already had Tommy John surgery, to injure himself. During the 2025 postseason, he proved he could be a weapon out of the bullpen.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has thrown a lot since the beginning of the 2025 season, and the team is wary of his workload to prevent a possible injury. The Dodgers may want to give Yamamoto a short rest before the postseason begins. Obtaining Skubal may allow them to do that.

Skubal is considered to be one of the elite left-handed starters in baseball. The Dodgers need a left-handed starter to get a different style of pitching in their rotation. Since Clayton Kershaw retired, the Dodgers haven’t had a dominant left-handed starter until now. Skubal has a 95-mile-per-hour fastball with a great spin rate, a wipe-out slider, an average changeup, and a satisfactory curveball.  During his college career, he had Tommy John surgery but has turned into a durable ace even though in April, he underwent a NanoScope procedure to remove loose bodies in his pitching elbow. He returned quickly and had a 7-5 record with a 2.79 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 16 starts and 96.2 innings. Skubal has a reputation as a fierce competitor, something that the Dodgers have lacked this season.

Skubal is a great acquisition for the Dodgers. Although Andrew Friedman warned Dodger fans that their favorite team may not do anything else to improve the major league team, the Dodgers need another right-handed reliever and a catcher to make them unbeatable in the postseason.