The Los Angeles Dodgers are going through a rough patch right now, and their bullpen struggles are at the forefront.
Since the All-Star Break, the Dodgers' bullpen has a 4.89 ERA. That ranks 23rd in the majors. In the postseason, when managers give their starters less leeway, having an elite bullpen is key. For most of the year, Tanner Scott, Jack Dreyer, Alex Vesia and Edgardo Henriquez have been reliable out of the bullpen. In the second half, they have gotten Edwin Díaz back, so on paper they should be set.
However, since the All-Star Break, Henriquez has a 7.36 ERA, Vesia has a 5.00 ERA, Díaz has a 9.00 ERA and Dreyer has a 3.86 ERA. The trade deadline has passed, and the time to add relievers is gone. The Dodgers acquired Seth Halvorsen from the Colorado Rockies, and he could be an option to help them.
Scott has been the only reliever in the second half to do his job. When the postseason rolls around, there's a real chance he could be closing games for the Dodgers if Díaz does not figure things out.
The Dodgers will also be able to move some of their starters to the bullpen for October. Shohei Ohtani is a name to watch in that regard. The Dodgers have enough starters thanks to the addition of Tarik Skubal. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow's return means the Dodgers do not have to start Ohtani and could keep him healthy.
If the postseason rotation is Skubal, Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers could have Justin Wrobleski, Eric Lauer and Roki Sasaki all move to the bullpen. The Dodgers could keep Ohtani in their back pocket if they want.
The only problem with that is that Lauer and Wrobleski have not looked good as of late either. The Dodgers are running out of time to fix the bullpen, and if the postseason started today, they would be playing a best-of-three series in the Wild Card round.