Dodgers left-hander Eric Lauer adjusted his cap and glanced into the stands as he walked off the field to a standing ovation.
In the Dodgers’ 4-2 win against the Kansas City Royals, completing a sweep at Dodger Stadium, Lauer held the Royals to two runs (one earned) in 6 ⅓ innings.
The Dodgers (73-48) got home runs from Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Hunter Feduccia.
The Dodgers, with a short bullpen after playing extra innings twice in four games, needed Lauer to pitch deep into the game.
That plan seemed to be in jeopardy as he labored through the first three innings, his pitch count climbing to 64. But the next three, he only gave up just one walk.
Despite Lauer’s bounce-back start Wednesday, and a consistent run with the Dodgers other than a dud against the Cubs at Wrigley Field last week, Lauer’s future with this team down the stretch isn’t entirely clear.
The Dodgers’ rotation is steadily evolving into its final playoff form. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been a steady presence at the top all season. Then they added left-hander Tarik Skubal before the trade deadline. And fellow two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell returned from the injured list to throw six innings of one-run ball Tuesday.
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow (back) is set to make his third minor-league rehab start later in the week. And Ohtani has progressed to long toss, although manager Dave Roberts said he’s not sure when he’ll move to throwing bullpens.
The Dodgers still, however, have rotation questions to answer come October. Though they probably will have only four starting spots to fill in the postseason — and Yamamoto, Skubal, Snell and Glasnow can be penciled in when healthy — Ohtani’s build-up adds an interesting wrinkle.
If he runs out of time to build up to a full starter’s workload, will the Dodgers use him as an opener in the postseason? And if so, who will follow him?
And how do the rest of the Dodgers’ starters — Roki Sasaki, who has put together an impressive last month, left-hander Justin Wrobleski, a 2026 All-Star who has gone through a recent rough patch, and Lauer, who turned around his season when the Dodgers acquired him in May — fit into their plans?
In the coming weeks, the Dodgers will have to clear room for Glasnow’s return from the IL. If they don’t move a starter to the bullpen, or decide Wrobleski could use some time to work through the issues that have sprung up in his last three starts, Lauer’s lack of minor-league options could make him a DFA candidate.
If it comes to that, Lauer’s done plenty in 11 appearances with the Dodgers to prove he can be an asset to a contending team looking to reinforce its pitching staff. He’d draw attention from other teams on the waiver wire or as a free agent.
On the other hand, nothing, especially when it comes to pitching, is predetermined.
Lauer knew that, as a pitcher the Dodgers brought in to help them weather injuries, his time in L.A. could be short lived. He acknowledged as much as the trade deadline neared. Still, he has remained.
Freeman exits
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman fell down the visiting dugout stairs while chasing a foul ball in the eighth inning. He remained in the game for the rest of the inning but was replaced in the ninth at first base by Kiké Hernández.
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