Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was to the dugout before a spring training … [+] baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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The Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t rest on their laurels after winning the World Series. They made two of the biggest splashes in the free agent pitching market, and they’re getting another star back from an injury.
Roki Sasaki is technically on a minor-league contract, so he doesn’t have to be added to the Dodgers’ roster until they play their first regular season games in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs on March 18-19. Not including him, they have 14 starters on their 40-man roster plus another two on the 60-day injured list. They will most likely use a six-man rotation this season, but that still leaves them with a lot to sort through in Spring Training.
Guaranteed Starters
Sasaki is one of five pitchers who will certainly have a rotation spot if healthy. The 23-year-old has dominated Japan for four years with an electric fastball and strikeout-worthy stuff. He unsurprisingly chose the Dodgers in January when he could’ve selected any MLB team.
Their other big addition in free agency was left-hander Blake Snell, who pitched for the San Francisco Giants last season. The two-time Cy Young Award winner signed a five-year, $182 million contract with deferrals this winter.
The holdovers in the rotation include Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, who were both acquired prior to the 2024 season. Yamamoto enters the second year of a 12-year, $325 million contract having posted an even 3.00 ERA in 18 starts last year. Glasnow threw a career-high 134 innings and completed his sixth consecutive season with at least a 32.2% strikeout rate.
Last but not least, reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani should be nearly ready to make his mound debut for the Dodgers. He hit .310 with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases while recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2024. He’s also contending with the after effects of a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder suffered in the postseason, but he should take his place in the rotation relatively soon.
Fringe Starters
Many of these pitchers would be mid-rotation starters on other teams, but on the Dodgers they’re fighting for the sixth spot. The two main pitchers in the competition are Tony Gonsolin and Bobby Miller. Gonsolin missed all of last season with an elbow injury but is healthy this spring. Miller followed up a promising rookie year with a nightmare 2024, putting up an 8.52 ERA in 13 starts. He was hit in the head with a line drive in his first Spring Training appearance and is working his way through concussion symptoms.
Dustin May and Landon Knack could both feature in the starting rotation, but will also work out of the bullpen in long relief. Like Gonsolin, May also missed the entire 2024 campaign, but he has a 3.10 ERA over his career across 191 2/3 innings since 2019. Knack made 12 starts and three relief appearances as a rookie last season, sporting a 3.65 ERA but with 14 home runs allowed in 69 innings.
The team has three more starters on the 40-man roster who are projected to start the year in the minors—Ben Casparius, Nick Frasso, and Justin Wrobleski. Wrobleski made six starts for the club last season and Casparius made his first career start in the World Series.
Injured List
The Dodgers will probably have at least six arms starting the year on the IL. The most notable name is Clayton Kershaw. At nearly 37 years old, he’s far removed from his glory days, but he’s 32 strikeouts away from becoming the fourth left-hander in baseball history to reach 3,000. He is recovering from surgeries on his toe and knee.
Michael Grove is likely to appear in a game for the Dodgers sooner than his injured compatriots. He’s dealing with a shoulder issue from October and recently suffered a setback, so he won’t be ready for Opening Day. Even when he does return, he’s probably a reliever, though he has made 20 starts over three seasons.
Four pitchers won’t factor into the Dodgers’ plans as they’re expected to miss most or all of the 2025 season. Kyle Hurt, River Ryan, and Emmet Sheehan all underwent Tommy John surgery last summer and Gavin Stone is out for the year following shoulder surgery.
Hardly any contending club could overcome so many injuries, but no one else boasts the quality and quantity of pitching depth the Dodgers can. We’ll see how much of it they require as the season unfolds.