The Los Angeles Dodgers went big—really big—over the past two off-seasons, committing an eye-watering $740 million to seven free-agent pitchers. All in hopes of building not just being October-ready but also championship-ready. But fast forward to May. That highly prized plan is falling apart at the seams. And it’s honestly unbelievable.

Of the seven arms the Dodgers invested in, only two remain healthy: Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tanner Scott. But get this—together they account for nearly $400 million of the total spend. $325 million for the Japanese ace and $72 for Tanner Scott. The other five players, accounting for nearly $350 million – all sidelined!

Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and the very hyped Roki Sasaki are all away because of shoulder injuries. And the rest of the bullpen anchors, too, like Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, and Kirby Yates, are out. That brings the injured pitching count to 14, and for a team that made pitching depth a top priority this season, this is a medical nightmare.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told USAToday, “It’s like a game of Whack-a-Mole. Things keep popping up, and we’re doing the best we can to hit them down and keep our guys in a good spot to win.”

The sad part is, last year, this was almost the same story. They faced pitcher injuries. And hence, they thought having more hands on deck would be the safe option this time. But clearly, there is no such thing as too much depth. Friedman himself mentioned, “The definition of enough depth, I think, is a fool’s errand. I don’t know what enough depth means. I think more is always better with pitching depth.”

But it’s not just the injuries; it is also the uncertainty around the pitchers that’s an eyebrow raiser. Roki Sasaki, for instance, had a noticeable drop in fastball velocity even before he ended up on the injured list. Even pitching coach Mark Prior had acknowledged this dip. So, this adds another layer of concern about his long-term health.

But Friedman isn’t pretending that he has all the answers now. “I think it’s important not to pretend like we have all the answers… We’re hoping to grow and learn from these experiences.”

For now, the Dodgers are left patching those holes with what they have. Whether or not they are willing to go with a trade remains to be seen. For now, Friedman has spoken words that almost all Dodger fans will agree with: “It’s by far the No. 1 thing that keeps me up at night.”

And amid the chaos, Ohtani’s pitching homecoming may not happen just as fast as everyone hoped for.

Los Angeles Dodgers stall Ohtani’s mound return amid pitching tension

While the Dodgers deal with a pitching staff that’s more injured than active, there is one silver lining waiting: Shohei Ohtani is getting closer to becoming a two-way superstar. However, there is a piece of good and bad news. Bad news first – don’t expect to see him on the mound before the All-Star break. The good news?

Dave Roberts updated that the two-way phenom will pitch live batting practice before Sunday night’s finale against the New York Mets.

This is a huge milestone for the Los Angeles Dodgers, given that this will be Ohtani’s first time facing hitters since undergoing his elbow injury last September. Roberts said, “He’s doing his first simulated game for two innings. To build up a starter, you usually go to five or six innings. Just the natural progression—I don’t see it happening before the break.”

A minor league rehab stint also isn’t off the table, but it is tricky.

Well, the Dodgers don’t want to lose Ohtani’s bat. Mostly because he has been stellar, just like last year. This is something even Dylan Hernandez from the Los Angeles Times had highlighted. Ohtani is now leading the National League with 17 home runs and 128 total bases. Also, the schedule doesn’t help, as June 12 is the only off-day that could line up for a potential minor league outing for him. Roberts said, “This is such a unique situation. There’s no clear blueprint for how to handle it.” 

Right now, Ohtani is working on revving his velocity and improving his slider. He will face hitters like Hyeseong Kim and Dalton Rushing during Sunday’s session, and then the team will reevaluate what to do next.

So what do YOU think? Is Ohtani ready for the next step? Let us know in the comments.