When the Dodgers entered the 2025 season, they weren’t chasing glory; they were defending it. With their eyes set on maintaining their World Series title, they’ve lived up to the billing. Even with over $100 million worth of arms on the IL, they’ve powered through, topping the NL West at 41-28. With record-breaking performances from their stars, the Dodgers are reminding everyone why they’re still the team to beat. But recently, there’s been a flicker of vulnerability, just enough for the rest of the division to sense an opportunity. But can they really overtake the champs?

After a dominating start, the Dodgers have loosened a bit. In the last 20 games, they are 11-9, opening a small window of hope for the Giants and Padres. Now, the Dodgers have allowed their closest rivals to creep up in the standings. The threat to the divisional lead is a rare scenario for the Dodgers, especially in a season where their MVP, Shohei Ohtani, is rewriting the MLB game book. This slip, though, is clearly due to a crack in their pitching, with as many as 15 pitchers sidelined. But if former Mets President Steve Phillips’ predictions are to be true, the Dodgers have nothing to fear; their lead is secure in the NL West.

“This is the Dodgers’ division. The Dodgers at some point will separate,” argued Phillips on MLB Network Radio. “There’s no chance for San Diego and San Francisco to edge out the Dodgers in this division. The only reason they’re close right now is because of the injuries to the Dodgers, but they are going to get healthy, and they will separate. I’m going to call it right now. They’re going to win this division by 10 games. They’re going to go on that kind of a roll and separate from the pack overall.” he didn’t stop there and went on to predict a timeline too: “I’m calling it. By August 15th, there’ll be a separation there between the Dodgers, the Giants, and the Padres,” he added.

Phillip’s hope is well justified, considering that this is not the full potential of the Dodgers. With top pitchers Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and Tony Gonsolin on the IL, they have relied on Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Dustin May for the save. And lately, they have been compelled to fire on talents like Matt Sauer and Ben Casparius to allow breathing room for the rest of the arms in the bullpen. That led to some slips, and the Giants have closed in on second place (40-28), with eight wins in their last 10 games. And the Padres, at 38-29, including that 11-1 over the Dodgers, are in third position.

But Dodgers need not worry, they’ve got Snell and Glasnow already throwing bullpen sessions, and with their return, the bullpen is going to get healthier. Running away with the division then becomes an easy task. The Dodgers have dominated their division, winning 11 of the last 12 titles, including the last three straight. This season feels far from risky for the Dodgers, not when they have, in Dave Roberts’ words, “potentially, the greatest player that ever played this game.” Ohtani is leading the MVP race, too, with the most votes. And guess what? His return to the mound is closer than ever, but not without risks.

Caution surrounds Shohei Ohtani

’s return

Ohtani has been great as the full-time DH for the Dodgers. He is blasting .290/.383/.625/1.008 with 23 home runs and 39 RBIs. That’s MVP-level madness. He’s still the two-way phenom, and if he returns to the mound, he could just step in and single-handedly cure that. Even after a long break, his Cy Young-level form might still be right where he left it. In his third simulated outing earlier this week, he threw 44 pitches over three innings, striking out six batters with fastball velocity in the mid-90s. Still, many believe the Dodgers might want to proceed with caution.

“So, if I’m running the show, I’m waiting till he gets back to 75 pitches before I bring him in… I mean, I think that could be like right before the All-Star break,” said Trevor Plouffe on the JM Baseball podcast. If the unicorn is returning, the Dodgers will want him at his absolute best; it’s all or nothing. Let us be honest, as exciting as it sounds, it’s a huge risk; they’d be putting their best bat on the line. MLB legend Alex Rodriguez had also raised concerns about his return earlier.

“It’s a tough decision for me. In 2023, Ohtani had the best repertoire of any pitcher in the game. But if Ohtani gets hurt and makes it 15 pitchers on the IL for the Dodgers, the season is over. For me, the risk-reward is not there.” A-Rod was brutally honest about the situation. They simply can’t risk losing him to the IL again. He’s their all-in-one fix, but only if they make the right move at the right time.