Dodgers rotation raises questions ahead of Opening Day

Reminder: The players making up the 2022 Dodgers roster are, in fact, human. And while baseball fans around the country expect great things of them, these Dodgers still have a weak spot or two.

Take the rotation, writes Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. As spring training drew to a close, manager Dave Roberts told reporters that starting pitching depth did concern him at times.

Walkher Buehler, Julio Urías, and Clayton Kershaw will anchor the rotation, with Tony Gonsolin and Andrew Heaney joining them to round out the starting five. If any of them are injured (Kershaw has made it onto the injured list every season since 2015) and unable to pitch for an extended period of time, who’s next?

According to Harris, the Dodgers are relying on their bullpen for the beginning of the season, meaning we could be in for a lot more openers and bullpen games if the rotation isn’t able to deliver.

Veterans David Price and Tyler Anderson, in particular, could be seeing more work, while Dustin May is expected to return from Tommy John recovery after the All-Star break.

Dodgers Links

Bill Plunkett at the OC Register offers a position-by-position breakdown of the 2022 Dodgers.

How long can the Dodgers maintain their title as one of the best teams in baseball? Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic takes a deep dive into the answer.

Dave Roberts shared his thoughts about the so-called “Shohei Ohtani rule” with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA earlier this week.