Dodgers Hit With Bold Wake-Up Call as Top MLB Analyst Sounds Alarm Over Deepening Health Crisis

When a team thinks that its entire offseason would be untouchable, there is an expectation that nothing—absolutely nothing—can shake that confidence. Not injuries. Not fatigue. And definitely not regression. The script is assumed to be written in permanent ink, not revised week after week with red markers and crossed-out revisions. However, as April became May, something transformed. The stability the Los Angeles Dodgers banked on began to wobble. Behind closed doors, concerns are being raised. Is this just a rough patch? Is this a wake-up call that can no longer be ignored?

Fans thought that the Dodgers’ roster approach was fully proven. Ten starters deep. Elite arms, stacked depth with insurance policies built into every crevice of the team’s rotation. However, when the injuries began to come quicker than strikeouts, the most fortified pitching plan in MLB began to look like wishful thinking.

Then came insider Ken Rosenthal, throwing out a fastball on Foul Territory. “It is incredible to think that when they started the season with like ten guys,” the insider said. His tone was not surprised. Instead, he was borderline sarcastic.

Rosenthal did not just suggest a trade could happen—he called it inevitable. “If players continue to get hurt, the Dodgers will have to be in the market for more pitching at the trade deadline,” the insider said. The Dodgers know better than most. You can not win October games in May. However, you can lose them by ignoring the red flags. Right now, the team is waving red flags like airport runway signals.

Time to unpack the chaos. Tyler Glasnow? Shut down after just 1.1 innings on April 27. Blake Snell is sidelined with shoulder inflammation. Then came Clayton Kershaw? Still recovering from his toe and knee surgeries and he can join mid-May. That is just the headliners. Behind such stars, Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Emmet Sheehan, Brusdar Grateron and a half-dozen others are flat-out ruled out. It’s not a rotation—it’s a rehab facility.

Yet, the irony cuts deep. The entire thought of adding Snell, chasing Yamamoto, and carrying Shohei Ohtani was not just about domination—it was about masking desperation. Andrew Friedman established this machine with one clear thought: do not touch the farm at the deadline. No overpays, no regrets, and no Pete Crow-Armstrong moment. However, if this trend continues, that promise could just go out the window.

One aspect is specific: relying on health is not an approach. It is a gamble, and currently, the team is winning.

Tony Gonsolin’s spark and Muncy’s power bring hope

For a rotation limping toward the edge, Tony Gonsolin’s return was a lifeline tossed at the last possible second. After his Tommy John surgery and almost a year of rest, the right-hander provided the Dodgers exactly what the team has been starving for, winging and missing stuff. Six innings, nine strikeouts, and zero walks. That’s not just a vital outing; it is a statement. As Dave Roberts said, Gonsolin’s “different brain” was on full display. He was reading hitters and playing with midseason sharpness. However, need to pause before calling this the cure. One beginning does not patch up a rotation that is still without elite stars.

The issue lingers—who’s next? The Dodgers have leaned into bullpen games and minor league call-ups more than they would like. Gonsolin’s return was a good approach; however, if the other part of the rotation remains on ice, the force will mount quickly. Specifically, when does every five days become a coin flip of “who is healthy enough to pitch?” 

The Dodgers have also done some shuffling. They claimed right-hander J.P. Feyereisen off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks and acquiring right-handed pitcher Ryan Loutos from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for cash. Moves like these are more about patching holes than solving problems—but in 2025, even patchwork matters.

In addition, on the offensive side, Max Muncy decided to exhale—and with force. After a power outage spanning 105 plate appearances, the star’s 433-foot moonshot was not just loud, it was vital. The timing could not have been better. The team’s offense had been struggling, relying largely on the top of the order. However, in this 12-run eruption, the lineup finally looked dangerous from top to bottom. Mookie Betts was cooking, Teoscar Hernández stayed red-hot, and Freddie Freeman did what he always does—get on base and rake.

Still, there is a distinctiveness between “catching fire” and “being consistent.” Such an offense needs to show up nightly. Gonsolin’s power and Muncy’s moonshot raised the stakes, sure; however, moments will not carry a team through October. Habits will. Currently, the team is flirting with flashes of brilliance. However, if they want to reclaim their dominance, those flashes need to become their default setting.

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