The Los Angeles Dodgers may start taking the pursuit of Tarik Skubal more seriously.
Shohei Ohtani felt some discomfort in his knee in his last bullpen, but Dave Roberts revealed he is also dealing with some pain in his right biceps. Roberts noted that the biceps issue popped up in his last start. The Dodgers have a deep rotation, but Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are not exactly known as durable pitchers.
With Ohtani's status up in the air, MLB insider Jon Morosi reports that the Dodgers' interest in Skubal has grown.
"The Dodgers’ interest in Tarik Skubal has increased due to questions surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s availability to pitch, as I reported on (MLB Network) earlier," Morosi wrote on X. "Yet it is unlikely the Tigers could obtain OF prospect Josue De Paula as the headliner in a multi-player package."
The Tigers blew a seven-run lead to lose in extra innings on Wednesday after Skubal gave them a quality start. They are now four games out of a wild card spot, and trading Skubal seems like the best course of action.
He has a 2.79 ERA in 16 starts and is the reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner. The Tigers recently designated his personal catcher for assignment, so they may be preparing for life without him.
If Ohtani is unable to pitch again this year, or if the Dodgers prefer to play it safe with him, Skubal would certainly be an adequate replacement. In fact, he would be an upgrade.
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