Status of Dodgers' 4 aces to dictate Trade Deadline strategy

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The Dodgers stacked four ace-caliber arms in last year's postseason rotation, leaning heavily on the gauntlet of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani to secure back-to-back championships.

With the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline fast approaching, three of those four projected starters are not currently in the rotation.

Snell began the season on the IL, made his season debut in May and was sidelined again after having surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. Glasnow strung together seven strong starts before lower back spasms led to an extended IL stint. Ohtani is on the active roster, but limited to hitting duties for now in order to allow his ailing left knee to make a full recovery.

The good news for the Dodgers is that all three of them are making progress toward a return. Snell began a rehab assignment last week. Glasnow is further behind, but working through a bullpen progression. Ohtani may be somewhere in the middle of them, having thrown a full bullpen session on Wednesday.

If the trio of Snell, Glasnow and Ohtani continues to progress, and Yamamoto stays healthy, then the Dodgers have no real need to pursue front-of-the-rotation arms ahead of the Trade Deadline. They appear more likely to add depth than anything else, as they expect their wealth of talent coming off the IL in the second half to be more impactful than any trade returns.

But things can always change -- and the Dodgers can't be counted out of making a major move if the right opportunity presents itself. Here's a look at what could impact their strategy:

The four aces
This may be the biggest factor. If there's any indication that one of Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow or Ohtani won't be available for the postseason, then L.A. could be more aggressive in adding a starter. But the Dodgers also have at least one solid internal option to step up if needed: Justin Wrobleski, who has gone 11-2 with a 2.62 ERA and earned his first All-Star nod. Wrobleski has been one of the best stories of L.A.'s season, but the team does have some considerations to make with his usage.

Wrobo's workload
Wrobleski has already pitched 106 2/3 innings this season, a career high at the Major League level. He has thrown more combined between the Majors and Minors in the past, topping out at 132 cumulatively in 2024, but the Dodgers often stress that not all innings are created equal at different levels of the game. Manager Dave Roberts has said that the team is planning on being mindful of Wrobleski's workload going forward, because he should be a big part of the postseason pitching staff in whichever role he serves. The Dodgers are somewhat limited in their methods of keeping him fresh because of the state of their rotation depth.

40-man depth
With Ohtani out of the rotation for the time being, the Dodgers don't have enough healthy starters to run a six-man rotation. Their upcoming off-days allow them to roll out their starters on extra rest -- as they are accustomed to -- right up until the Trade Deadline. At that point, Snell should be about a week away from returning. It is also possible that Ohtani could be back to pitching, or close. But L.A. is walking a thin line with no extra healthy starters on the 40-man roster, so adding back-end depth could help protect the team against any possible setbacks and give the existing rotation some additional rest if needed.

Arms for sale?
The Dodgers are contenders, but they may not be conventional buyers. Ahead of the past several Deadlines, they have traded a Major League starter, most recently dealing Dustin May to the Red Sox for outfield prospects James Tibbs III (MLB No. 91, L.A. No. 9) and Zach Ehrhard (L.A. No. 17) last year. This year, even with thinning depth, the Dodgers could run that strategy back, with left-hander Eric Lauer a candidate to be moved. But that depends on whether they feel they'll need him past the Deadline, and once again, that largely depends on the status of their four aces.