Lauer lands on IL, complicating Dodgers' regular-season pitching plans

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers' Big Four postseason starters are all healthy, but the back end of their rotation took a hit when left-hander Eric Lauer went on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation before Wednesday night's game against the Cardinals.

In a corresponding move, righty reliever Blake Treinen (right elbow inflammation) was activated from the 60-day IL. Right-hander Will Klein (right elbow discomfort) was transferred to the 60-day IL, ending his regular season. Klein could potentially be available for the postseason, depending on how his throwing progression continues.​

Lauer last pitched in Tuesday's 13-8 loss to the Cardinals, getting tagged for seven earned runs in three innings. He has been a solid back-end starter for the Dodgers since he was acquired from the Blue Jays in May, going 7-2 with a 4.50 ERA. His IL placement leaves L.A. with just four active starting pitchers, the team's projected postseason rotation: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.

Manager Dave Roberts had already indicated that the Dodgers would call up a spot starter at some point this homestand, when they play nine games in as many days. It is likely to be right-hander Emmet Sheehan, who is lined up to start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday -- which is when L.A. already needed to add a starter to keep the rotation on its typical schedule.

But with Lauer sidelined, Sheehan -- who has a 1.50 ERA in four Triple-A starts -- might have more runway than one spot start. The Dodgers will need to figure out how to handle Monday as well, whether plugging in a bullpen game or another spot starter. If they go the bullpen game route, Justin Wrobleski could potentially cover bulk innings.

Other Dodgers starting pitchers on the IL include Roki Sasaki, who is continuing to play catch but isn't eligible to be activated until after the homestand, and Gavin Stone, who is nearing the end of his rehab assignment but appears to be a long shot to pitch for L.A. this season.

If Sasaki returns on time, that would allow the Dodgers to run a six-man rotation once more if they also opt to keep Sheehan in the big league rotation.

Shohei Ohtani, whom the Dodgers had previously hoped would be back to starting games by now, is in stasis with his pitching progression. The team isn't ruling out his return to the mound, but a potential timeline is unclear until he is back to throwing bullpen sessions. He would not be ready to return to pitching in time to address this immediate need for L.A.

Long-term, the Dodgers' rotation is still set up well for the postseason, which is their biggest priority. But in the short term, they have some maneuvering to do to piece together the final month of the regular season.