Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

With twelve games remaining, the Los Angeles Dodgers had placed Edgardo Henriquez on the IL. He has a lower back strain, and Dave Roberts said he has maybe an “oblique.” Henriquez should undergo imaging while the team is in Cincinnati.

The Henriquez injury puts the Dodgers’ bullpen in shambles. Without a good bullpen, the Dodgers won’t go far in the postseason.

Dave Roberts has spent since August 1 trying to create a trust tree of the relievers, and the relievers haven’t helped.

Roberts has demonstrated that he can win a World Series with a super bullpen in 2024.

While Roberts won the 2025 World Series without a good bullpen, he had some reliable relievers. Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and Roki Sasaki were great relievers. Now, these relievers are questionable. The Dodgers don’t have Clayton Kershaw, who has stepped into retirement; he got one critical out in the 2025 World Series.

Traditionally, World Series-caliber teams have great bullpens. If the opposition stages a late-inning rally, the team needs a reliever who can get a quick out or more. So far in the 2026 season, the Dodgers haven’t found a reliever who can do this yet.

On Monday, the Dodgers demoted Sheehan to Oklahoma City because they need a fresh arm in the bullpen. He started through the 2026 season. Before spending the month of August in Oklahoma City, he struggled with consistency. Will he adjust to being a reliever?

Wrobleski was brilliant before the All-Star Game. He earned his first All-Star selection. Since his second start after the All-Star Game, home runs have plagued him. He has spent time on the IL with left elbow inflammation. He has returned as a reliever, but allowing a home run can spell death for a reliever.

Sasaki has been dealing with a blister since August 26. On Monday, he threw an encouraging bullpen session. It will be determined whether he will start on Thursday. He has made huge strides this season as a starter. He is willing to go into a bullpen for the postseason. And as it stands, Sasaki might have to be the closer.

Since Andrew Friedman didn’t want to be in this position, last December, he signed Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69 million deal. Díaz has been a bust. On his current rehabilitation assignment, he has stunk, with no fastball command and a hittable slider. On Monday, Roberts hinted that if Díaz doesn’t improve fast, he may not make the postseason roster.

In Díaz’s absence, Tanner Scott has been the closer. Before the All-Star break, he had been great. Since then, he has struggled. In September, he has had two blown saves. His command is off. He has had a normal workload of 58.2 innings. Unless he rights the ship, Roberts won’t want to go to him during the postseason.

The Dodgers don’t have Ben Casparius or Will Klein, a 2025 World Series hero. They are injured.

Jack Dreyer and Alex Vesia have been consistent in 2026. Both are from the left side.

Blake Treinen has returned to the active roster after missing three months with right forearm inflammation. He has been inconsistent since his heroics in the 2024 World Series. Can he become a reliable option from the right side?

Evan Phillips is the wild card in the Dodgers’ bullpen. Since his return in July, he has been inconsistent with his command and the bite on his slider. However, in September, he has reminded the Dodgers and their fans of the dominance that he demonstrated in 2021 and 2022. Can he maintain this through the postseason?

Having a good bullpen is necessary to go deep in the postseason. The injury to Henriquez, who was the most improved reliever on the team, highlights how tenuous going for a three-peat is for the Dodgers.