The Los Angeles Dodgers may have the most dominant rotation in baseball on paper, but even the best-laid plans can unravel when injuries strike. Over the weekend, the Dodgers' pitching staff felt the pinch, reminding everyone that depth is not just a luxury—it's a necessity.
The trouble started when Tyler Glasnow landed on the injured list after tweaking his lower back during a start against the Astros. While Glasnow downplayed the issue, calling it a "minor problem" he's dealt with throughout his career, the Dodgers decided to play it safe and shelve him for a couple of weeks. That decision set off a chain reaction that put the bullpen under serious strain.
Los Angeles leaned heavily on its relievers, using more than five innings from the bullpen on both Friday and Saturday. The situation became so dire that Justin Wrobleski was forced to pitch nearly the entire game just to give the bullpen a breather. In a bizarre twist, Wrobleski became the first starting pitcher since Carlos Silva in 2006 to allow seven or more runs while pitching at least 8 2/3 innings—a stat line that Dodgers fans haven't seen since Rick Sutcliffe in 1979.
All of this has sparked a familiar question in Los Angeles: Could the Dodgers use one more reliable arm? While the rotation is already stacked with stars like Blake Snell and Shohei Ohtani, the injury bug has a way of exposing even the deepest rosters. That's why a trade for Minnesota Twins' All-Star Joe Ryan is starting to gain traction.
Ryan, who is earning a modest $6.1 million this season, has been a consistent and reliable presence for the Twins. He's also one of the most sought-after trade targets this summer, making him a perfect fit for a Dodgers team that values both performance and payroll flexibility. Adding Ryan wouldn't just provide insurance—it would give Los Angeles a supercharged rotation that could weather any storm.
While blockbuster names like Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers are fun to dream about, a move for Ryan feels more grounded and practical. For a team that already has championship aspirations, shoring up the rotation with a proven arm like Ryan could be the difference between a good season and a great one.