The Los Angeles Dodgers' rotation is dealing with some injuries right now, but they should be healthy for the postseason.
Shohei Ohtani is not pitching right now, and Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have missed most of the year. However, Snell should be back next week, and Glasnow has started his rehab assignment. Getting all three arms back will give Dave Roberts a tough choice to make for October.
Right now, the Dodgers use a six-man rotation. However, when October rolls around, they will go to a four-man rotation and move some guys to the bullpen. Assuming they have Ohtani, Snell, Glasnow, Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and Justin Wrobleski all healthy, some elite arms will miss the cut.
Skubal, Snell and Yamamoto are locks to be in the postseason rotation if they are healthy. Snell has only pitched in one game this year, but he has two Cy Young Awards, and if he looks like himself when he returns, he should once again be able to dominate in October. He gave the Dodgers three quality starts to start the postseason last year.
The final spot will likely come down to Ohtani and Glasnow. Glasnow had a 2.72 ERA through seven starts this year before hitting the injured list. Last year, he had a 1.69 ERA in the postseason, making three starts and coming out of the bullpen in the World Series.
Ohtani is having a phenomenal year on the mound, but injuries have shut him down from pitching. The Dodgers are optimistic he will be ready for October, but the team does not really need him to pitch to win it all, despite his 1.79 ERA.
The Dodgers are not bound to stick with the same four guys. Pitching in the postseason may require Roberts to call on any one of his starters as a reliever in a big spot. The likely rotation will be Skubal, Yamamoto, Snell and Glasnow. Ohtani and Justin Wrobleski will likely be options to start games if there is an injury or Roberts has to use one of those four in relief.
Roki Sasaki, who has a 2.25 ERA in his last four starts, will likely go to the bullpen like he did last October.