Kershaw’s August run shows vintage control, five innings and 14 straight outs as the Dodgers beat Cincinnati. He’s 5-0 on the month with an ERA under 2, even if the first inning reminds him to stay focused. Ohtani is slated to reach five innings in Wednesday’s start, while Alex Call left Tuesday with a lower-back issue and is hoped to return soon. Miguel Rojas produced a go-ahead double, and Edman spoke on his return and multi-position readiness.

RotoBallers’ Week 22 stash guide highlights 6 high-upside injured MLB bats and arms worth grabbing in IL spots or deep redrafts. Roki Sasaki’s recovery pace with the Dodgers signals late-season upside and playoff impact, while Tommy Edman’s return would add multi-position versatility. Francisco Alvarez and Chase Burns provide intriguing power and strikeout potential, with Wilyer Abreu and Max Muncy representing late-season pop and veteran stability.

These stashes lean into upside over obvious returns, emphasizing players with a path to meaningful weekly contributions as the season winds down. Managers should treat these adds as two-way bets: potential breakout weeks paired with real risk from IL timelines and innings limits.

Bottom line: targeting top stashes now could swing tight playoff weeks; monitor rehab progress and align adds with rosters that can absorb delayed returns or limited play in September.

The Dodgers face a defensive recalibration after a 4-3 walk-off loss to Colorado. Mookie Betts was back at shortstop on Tuesday, with Teoscar Hernández staying in right, as LA reassesses its infield-outfield balance. A postgame meeting among Roberts, Friedman, and Betts underscored Betts’s openness to returning to right field, a move that could stabilize the defense but might dampen his bat. Hernández’s defensive struggles — two errors and a -0.4 DEF WAR that ranks 64th among NL right fielders — continue to loom large over the lineup. If Betts slides back to the outfield, Freeland or Miguel Rojas would slide into short, while Hernández would shift to left to accommodate Conforto at the plate, whose current .190/.?/.? marks are the worst among players with at least 300 ABs. With utility options like Edman, Kim, and Kiké Hernández nearing returns from the IL, Roberts has built-in depth to mix and match as the season wears on.

Defensive efficiency could determine whether the Dodgers lean into stability or go for upside. Betts’s move to infield responsibilities has punished offense and increased mental load, making a balance between fielding and hitting crucial for postseason chances. The road ahead includes a rehab cadence for Kim, potentially back by early next week, which would ease rostering pressure and expand Roberts’s short-term options. The larger strategic question is whether the lineup can sustain offense while the defense stabilizes, especially if Hernández’s right-field performance remains a liability.

In this moment, the Dodgers are betting that a defensively steadier infield—whether Freeland, Rojas, or Hernández swapping to the outfield—will unlock Betts’s better-than-career hitting ability and keep Conforto from getting overwhelmed in a deteriorating batting average. The backstop on defense is clear, the backstop on offense is still improving, and the balancing act continues as managers and front office weigh risk and reward as the calendar turns toward late spring and the postseason horizon.

Dodgers bullpen struggles have become a major storyline after a dominant 2024 run, with health and command questions clouding late-inning outings. The plan hinged on bullpen depth returning to full strength, plus a potential Bobby Miller lift from Oklahoma City to close games. Instead, the unit has balked, forcing the rotation to absorb more high-leverage relief. The Padres series looms as a real test of whether L.A. can stabilize the relief corps and turn the season back toward the competitive arc.

Michael Kopech’s arrival from a three-team 2024 trade looked like a blueprint for bullpen punch, but his 2025 return from meniscal repair has been rocky. Rehab innings showed command hiccups even as his flame-throwing stuff remains elite. The Dodgers still hope Kopech can slot into high-leverage work, but success hinges on regaining feel for the zone. Veteran reinforcements and a possible quick call-up for Miller could buy time, yet the bullpen must show a clear path to competence in short order.

Bradley Edman’s addition in the three-team swap injects infield versatility and bench depth, while Kopech’s presence provides a potential bridge to the late innings. The Dodgers face a Padres squad that seized the division lead; a steady bullpen is not optional. If Kopech can regain his rhythm and Miller can contribute soon, L.A. might reclaim the buoyancy that propelled last year’s relief success. The next series will reveal if this plan can salvage the season or if more adjustments are needed.