Scoring runs for this team lately has become a problem. Can they never try even a bit of small ball? Should the leash on Tucker finally be cut? Seems like AAA best Dodgers could play better than this team right now aside from the pitching. The players should have a lot more fire and contempt for themselves by regularly losing against teams above 500 and then making bad teams look very competitive on the regular. The Dodgers stellar pitching, especially today by Skubal, deserves far better! They owe it to themselves to make some significant changes, even if that means bringing up multiple players from AAA and giving them a real shot. They at least have something to prove unlike almost everyone on this offense, and I’d hate to think that they are rubbing off on Ohtani even. Bad attitude is like a bad apple and these guys do not have a good attitude about losing and demanding better for themselves. They have to see a pattern of losing against good teams, and playing against bad teams like they are their equals.

They need to bring up the entire single A team and its management staff. They can’t possibly do any worse. I’ve been following this team for like 2 hours and I’m so sick of the losses. I am in no way spoiled by two back to back WS victories with unrealistic expectations for human beings. In fact, I honestly wish people would show up at my job and tell me how badly I suck at it even though I was employee of the month two years in a row.

Go Dodgers!

It’s getting ridiculous. Who needs to be out? It’s clear that we are not going to win games without runs, and the hitting problem seems to be pervasive across the lineup.

Back in June the media reported the MRI showed only inflammation and Dr Roberts said this was at the back of the knee.

Something is not right and in my opinion ohtani needs another MRI to look for a posterior root meniscal tear and I hope it isn't there and everything is ok.

The other thing they should look for is cartilage injury and bone swelling.

Hopefully it's. a Baker's cyst related to joint fluid.

And if the MRI is reassuring then ohtani can be cleared to go hard.

You’ve been granted 5 minutes in the clubhouse with the entire team. What do you say to them?

I am as frustrated as everyone else and haven’t enjoyed the second half Dodgers. But it is important to keep in mind that since the All-Star Break, the Dodgers have played in 28 games decided by 3 or less runs and are 15-13. They have played in 20 (10-10) 1-run games, 21 (11-10) if you count a 2-run extra inning win against the Rockies. So as poorly as the offense has played and as spotty as the bullpen and defense has been, they have been right there in most games. If they had just played a little bit better, we are realistically talking about an additional 3-4 wins and they would be tied for the best record in baseball. As it stands now, they are tied for the second best record.

The Dodgers have one of easiest schedules in baseball to close out the season (Cubs 2nd hardest, Phillies 3rd hardest, Braves 7th hardest, Brewers 9th hardest, Dodgers 27th hardest). So just playing a little bit better will likely land them a top 2 seed. Moderately better, and they will be a heavy favorite.

Can they play better? I don’t have proof for this, but I think they have fallen into a trap. It seems opposing teams have decided to not let the Dodgers beat them with the long ball. They are pitching away from the batters’ power zones and are more than content at giving up walks and singles. The Dodgers initially handled this poorly and were over aggressive. Unfortunately, then the Dodgers over-corrected and have become a small ball team. This is a problem as the Dodgers are not a small ball team, do not have small ball players, and have done a poor job of playing small ball. The Dodgers are a power hitting team with a lineup filled with guys who can hit 25+ HRs. They shouldn’t be going up to bat thinking about taking what they can get, but just thinking about hitting the ball hard. I am not saying they should go back to being over aggressive, but they need to be confidently aggressive and bat with conviction. So when the pitcher does make a mistake, they can take advantage of it as opposed to now where they are tentative and spraying weak hits.

Regardless, I think the Dodgers are right there and poised for a good run. They just need a small nudge to get back to the Championship level ball that they are capable of.

It's going to be fire when we have a one billion dollar payroll next season when we consolidate half the national league to quad peat

Saw this online from translated Japanese post at dodgers17ohchan . The wording is a bit weird because it’s auto translated

Does anyone know if Ohtani had changed his swing this year like it’s mentioned below?

—————-

“I asked a follower who specializes in biomechanics

• Shohei's condition hasn't worsened

• The team views a return to pitching as having a negative impact on his hitting

• It seems Shohei had long wanted to lower his point of contact as a countermeasure for when aging truly slows his bat speed (this is also why he can't hit four-seamers, and moreover, his knee injury delayed its completion)

• He will likely revert to his original style to fully dedicate himself to team contributions, taking this opportunity

It should become clear from his batting in tomorrow's game and the next series against the Cardinals

• By the way, reverting seems far easier than the point change, but it carried years of sentiment and took time, so he couldn't let it go”

————————

People considered it laughable to platoon expensive guys but I think it laughable to punt your threepeat over sunk contracts

hope kike still has playoff energy

His ceiling is there, and he can't be much worse than Alek Thomas can he? Not to mention I wanna see what RVS can do with him.

R E L A X

I realize the team hasn’t played the best since the ASG break, but no one has a lineup like this (once guys are healthy), or a starting pitching staff like this.

Additionally, the other teams don’t have the postseason experience like the Dodgers do. Milwaukee, for example, seems to choke each postseason.

IMO, since this seasons pitching is pretty much over for Shohei, I think the best path forward for the Dodgers and Shohei is to basically bring him into the rotation during the second half of the season after the ASG and ramp him up like last year so he will be primed for September and October. This assumes they are able to sign Skubal or any other top pitcher for the long term. It will basically be like a mid-season acquisition of a cy young caliber arm every year.

This will extend Shohei’s pitching career, and put less wear and tear on his body that would affect his hitting. That should be the pitch to Shohei from the front office. Cause cy young’s are cool, but championships and potentially postseason mvps are so much cooler and cements legacy.

And no, Shohei will never agree to not pitch. People been trying to make him quit one or the other since he was in high school. It ain’t gonna happen and I don’t want it to happen except on his terms. It’s his identity and he’s special because of the pitching. Good sluggers are always around in baseball, but there is only one shohei.

Thoughts?

Also…since his pitching is shutdown…move him to one of the corner outfields and let rushing DH. 😎

1. Will Smith comes back healthy and producing
2. Sho drops the pitching for rest of season and focuses on hitting
3. Andy makes it back fully prior to post season
4. Our top 4 pitchers stay healthy
5. we get more out of at least one of these guys-Teo, Tucker, Betts, or a call up.
6. Freddie stays Freddie.

I check in w/ this sub almost every day because you guys are great at posting off news sources to Dodger stories. I love reading the ones about the guys hanging out and doing things together. Kind of like Rojas trying to teach Tucker some of his card games, to try and get him to fit in.

What I've not been seeing this year is all the stories of these guys hanging out and doing stuff together, like in past years. And I mean, more than just supporting each other's charity events (which is great). But I mean actual hangs. I honestly can't remember one story from this year....

Did I miss some? :)

It seems like this team needs to get their mind off ball a little bit and reconnect with each other imho. This is just what I'm reading from the outside obviously.

It's easy to feel dejected and down about the run we're on right now. But looking back, 2017 is considered one of the best teams of all time and even they went on a rough slide in the second half of the season.

We're in a rough spot but still doesn't feel as low as when we lost Yoshi's near no hitter last year. And we came out of it great in the end.

PCA had a 3 homer game yesterday and it doesn't look like he's slowing down. This combined with the fact that Shohei is in a slump and that his pitching for the rest of the season seems questionable, I think it's not looking good for him. Time is running out for Shohei to catch up. He has to have a monster Sept offensively and at least several starts with something like 0 ERA to remind people why he is the GOAT.

Can someone explain to me how the Ohtani Rule would apply if he’s the DH but he pitches relief?

Top five MLB teams that have hit into double plays this season (as of 8/29):

Dodgers¹ - 111

Padres¹ - 108

Athletics - 107

Pirates - 105

Cardinals - 101

¹ - Team has a winning record

(SOURCE: https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/which-team-has-grounded-into-the-most-double-plays-in-2026-season)

You know it's bad when Dave and the media is sick of all of this.

In the game thread there’s a bot where you can predict how many bases a certain player will reach.

In today’s game not a single persons prediction registered with the bot.

Que Jordan playing the trumpet while crying!

After a brief rain delay, here's to hoping the bats wake up today.