Eric Lauer had a solid season for the Toronto Blue Jays last season, posting a 3.18 ERA in 28 games, but he was off to a poor start this year.
Lauer was very important for the Blue Jays last season as he helped cover some key pitching injuries, and also was able to serve as both a starter and reliever. He came out of the bullpen in October and had a 3.12 ERA in five games during the Blue Jays' World Series run. This season, he had a 6.69 ERA in eight games for the Blue Jays, making six starts. They designated him for assignment on May 11, and the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired him for cash on May 17.
The Dodgers have been dealing with pitching injuries all season, with Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell both spending time on the injured list. Relievers Edwin Díaz, Evan Phillips and Blake Treinen are also on the injured list. It made sense for them to acquire a swingman like Lauer to eat innings, but they have turned him into a key player. He has a 2.88 ERA in six games, making five starts, for the Dodgers.
Not only is he helping the Dodgers win games, but he is also making a case to remain on the roster when some of the injured players return. Lauer seems like a far better rotation option than Roki Sasaki at this point in time. When healthy, the Dodgers may be best suited to have a rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Snell, Glasnow, Lauer and Justin Wrobleski. If they want a five-man rotation, Lauer would make the most sense as a long-relief option.
However, given the injury histories of Glasnow and Snell, Lauer could end up remaining in the rotation for most of the season without much debate on whether someone else deserves the spot.