5 Dodgers whose under-the-radar contributions helped spark MLB-best first half

5 Dodgers whose under-the-radar contributions helped spark MLB-best first half

Economy World


LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers won’t let back-to-back clunkers dim what has been a thoroughly impressive first half.

The reigning champions enter play Sunday as the owners of MLB’s best record (61-35), the highest batting average (.263), slugging percentage (.435) and team OPS in baseball (.779). They’ve hit the second-most home runs in the National League (126) behind the Washington Nationals’ 136. Their pitching has been equally as good, despite being without Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow for most of the season. The Dodgers’ rotation has logged the most innings in the NL (533 1/3) and ranks top three in opponent average (second, .215) and strikeouts (third, 513).

They could be even stronger in the second half. Four key pieces are on their way back. Edwin Díaz (bone chips in right elbow) started a rehab assignment with Class A Ontario on Saturday where he gave up a hit and struck out two in an inning of work. He’ll need multiple outings, but the Dodgers are optimistic he could return perhaps as early as during the team’s 10-day road trip to kick off the second half.

Snell faced live hitters for the first time since undergoing bone chip removal surgery in his left elbow and is on schedule to start a rehab assignment sometime next week. The Dodgers would like him to stretch out to at least five innings or 75 pitches before activation. That also applies to Glasnow (back spasms), who is behind Snell, but did take a significant step in throwing his first bullpen Friday at Dodger Stadium. Kiké Hernández (oblique strain) is targeting a return on July 28 during the Dodgers’ first homestand after the All-Star break.

A team is only as good as its depth, and the Dodgers have relied on theirs heavily so far. Let’s take a look at some of the unsung heroes who have helped propel Los Angeles to another impressive first half.

LHP Justin Wrobleski

It sounds silly to call Wrobleski underrated considering he was named to the National League All-Star team as a replacement on Saturday. But given how the Dodgers first planned to use him compared to how he’s wound up contributing, it’s warranted.

When the Dodgers broke camp in March, they needed to minimize the workload of their starting rotation. Enter Wrobleski, who was originally set for a piggyback role while mixing in some spot starts when needed. Quickly, however, the Dodgers realized they’d need to utilize a consistent six-man rotation and inserted the 25-year-old after their first turn through. He hasn’t looked back.

Wrobleski’s 2.69 ERA represents the seventh-best mark among starters in the NL. His 1.02 WHIP is tied for third-lowest, and he has the second-best walk rate through nine innings at 1.79. The league may not value wins the same as it once did, but Wrobleski’s 10-2 record as a starter gives him one of the top winning percentages, and as manager Dave Roberts acknowledged, it also speaks to his overall effectiveness.

“To be able to get pitching decisions, you’ve got to go deeper in games,” Roberts said. “The ERA is stellar, innings per outing, and I just think that he’s performed enough to earn (an All-Star bid).”

Evidently, the league agreed. Wrobleski will join Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Andy Pages and Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia next week. (Shohei Ohtani was also named an All-Star, but won’t play in the game due to irritation in his left knee.)

“I was not happy that I wasn’t going to be a part of it,” Wrobleski said. “To be able to go there and do it is super exciting. Wide range of emotions, but at the same time, it doesn’t necessarily change the rest of the year for me. I think the goal is always the same, just go out there and continue to get better and see where it takes me.”

So far so good. Wrobleski’s continued improvement has proved pivotal, especially with Snell and Glasnow sidelined for most of the first half. Even with both pitchers slated to return before mid-August, Wrobleski will be a key starter for the Dodgers down the stretch.

LHP Eric Lauer

The Blue Jays’ decision to cut ties with Eric Lauer in mid-May could hardly have been better timing. Lauer bounced between starting and relief roles for the first six weeks of the season and didn’t see much success either way. Toronto ultimately designated him for assignment, shortly before the Dodgers lost both Snell and Glasnow to extended IL stints.

Knowing how critical the six-man rotation is for their pitchers — the team was not comfortable throwing Ohtani or Yamamoto on regular rest for most of the first half — the Dodgers decided to take a flier on Lauer. They acquired him for cash considerations, hoping his history with pitching coach Mark Prior (both were in the San Diego Padres organization) could unlock higher velocity and better results.

The Dodgers would have been satisfied if Lauer simply served as a stopgap, or at least bought them a couple weeks to make a decision on top pitching prospect River Ryan, who was not yet built up from a minor hamstring injury. But Lauer has been more than a serviceable starter. Since coming to Los Angeles, Lauer owns a 3.12 ERA over 40 1/3 innings, a considerable drop from the 6.69 he posted with the Blue Jays. He closed out his first half with four straight quality starts, and the Dodgers are 7-0 in games in which he’s appeared.

“Making sure I’m putting the team in a position to win the game is pretty much my job,” Lauer said after a recent start against the Athletics. “I think so far I’ve done a good job of that, and making sure that I’m able to stay in the game long enough to save the bullpen a couple innings is always a positive. I’ve been really happy with the way I’ve been executing pitches, especially with the adjustments that I’ve made after coming here.”

With Snell trending toward an early-to-mid August return and Glasnow ideally not too far behind, Lauer’s future role with the Dodgers is unclear. He could be a trade candidate — he’ll be a free agent at the end of the year and contending teams almost always covet starting pitching. Los Angeles could try to pull off a deal similar to what they did with Dustin May last year. Regardless, adding Lauer seemed like a marginal pickup at first, but his impact could not have come at a more needed time.

“It’s been critical, certainly,” Roberts said recently of Lauer’s success. “Every time he takes the ball, it seems like he’s going six innings and giving us some length. That’s what he signed up for, and he’s been nothing but impressive for us.”

LHP Tanner Scott

The biggest question facing the Dodgers when Díaz underwent elbow surgery in April was who would step up in the closer’s absence. Given last season’s bullpen woes — especially Scott’s — there was justifiable concern.

But Scott has been nails as the primary ninth-inning man, making 40 appearances and converting 13 of 15 save opportunities. He did not allow an earned run for nearly a month, spanning from June 9 to July 6, and will wrap up the first half with a 2.63 ERA and an 11.7 K/9 rate, his highest since 2023.

“I think sometimes he’s got such good command in the sense that he doesn’t walk guys, but with that, guys are swinging,” Roberts said of Scott. “And last year, it just seemed like everything to a right-hander was down and in, in the same nitro zone, and that’s where guys were locking in on, where I think now he’s pitching to different parts of the plate. His slider has gotten better, the velocity is held, and he’s healthier.

“Tale of two seasons. He’s doing a great job.”

Díaz should return early in the second half and resume closer duties. But the Dodgers can now trust another weapon from the left side, and have the version of Scott they thought they were getting last year.

RHP Edgardo Henriquez

Henriquez’s breakout season has been a major breakthrough. He’s always had two powerful fastballs — his four-seam and his sinker both average over 100 miles per hour and rank in the top percentile of the league — but in prior seasons, his command was far from consistent.

It’s been a different story this year. Henriquez relies predominantly on a three-pitch mix between his fastballs and slider, but he can now effectively mix in his secondaries, a cutter and curveball, when necessary. While he won’t overpower with the strikeout, he can entice hitters to chase out of the zone (as evidenced by his 34.8 percent chase rate) and consistently misses barrels to limit hard contact.

He’s also been able to neutralize hitters regardless of handedness. Lefties are hitting .220/.350/.400 while righties are averaging a minuscule .125/.195/.150. Henriquez has not surrendered a home run to a right-handed hitter all year. All of this has led to his inclusion in Roberts’ trust tree.

“He’s doing a much better job of managing (the lefties),” Roberts said. “So now you feel like when lineups are more staggered these days, it doesn’t really matter the lane that we put him in.

“He’s really, really grown up and earned higher leverage. He’s now unfazed by certain moments and higher leverage.”

C Dalton Rushing

Yes, the Dodgers would like to minimize, if not outright eliminate, the viral moments unrelated to Rushing’s play. That continues to be a work in progress. But they are pleased with how he’s taken over full-time catching duties with Will Smith on the IL for over a month.

Catching depth in the Dodgers’ system, especially in the upper minors, is thin. If not for Rushing, Smith’s prolonged absence would be considered dire. But Rushing has taken the extended look as a learning opportunity — ups and downs included.

His offense has tapered off as of late, but he’ll wrap up the first half with 10 homers, 30 RBIs and an .808 OPS. That’s more than solid enough production for a backup catcher.



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