“It’s the Dodgers, man, nobody likes the Dodgers. You want to get them more than any other team,” Eric Lauer had exclaimed back in 2018 after almost shutting out the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then, in 2026, he landed himself on that same team.

In a move to reinforce their rotation, the Dodgers have acquired the pitcher who has been outspoken about his hate for the team. The move has now forced some former rivals to coexist, prompting light-hearted confrontation inside the clubhouse. In a recent conversation with Foul Territory, LA 3B Max Muncy spoke about such interactions with the pitcher.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations about him not liking us very much when he was pitching for other teams. We’ve had some good laughs about it.”

Eric Lauer has been one of the pitchers to succeed against the Dodgers’ hitters regularly. He holds a 7-2 record against the Dodgers, with a 2.90 ERA across 13 appearances. Lauer first earned his reputation against the Dodgers when he was with the San Diego Padres.

In his rookie season in 2018, Lauer almost shut out the Dodgers. He threw eight scoreless innings before Max Muncy homered in the ninth. In the match, Lauer allowed just one run in 8.2 innings while striking out eight.

And then came his famous “nobody likes…” comments! But little did the rookie know that he would end up on the same team.

Following his poor start to the season, the Toronto Blue Jays designated Eric Lauer for assignment on May 11, 2026. After his impressive scoreless 5.2-inning stint in the 2025 World Series, Lauer had struggled on the mound from the beginning of this season. Before the Blue Jays DFA’d him, Lauer posted a 6.69 ERA in 8 outings. Prior to releasing Lauer, the Blue Jays tried using an opener to improve his performance.

But it did not help, and Lauer also hated that strategy. Ultimately, after his tenure at Toronto ended, the Dodgers acquired Lauer in exchange for cash considerations.

Lauer appears to have found his footing with the Dodgers.

Debuting on May 26, the southpaw recorded his first win for his new team. He threw a 96-pitch six-inning while allowing just one run to the Colorado Rockies hitters on 4 hits. After two starts, Lauer’s ERA has improved to 5.74 this season. He will throw against the Los Angeles Angels next.

With Blake Snell on the injured list, the Dodgers have signed Lauer to increase rotation depth. But while Snell recovers from Tommy John surgery, a recovering reliever is hit with another injury setback.

Dodgers’ reliever hit with brutal injury setback

27-year-old Brusdar Graterol was rehabbing in Triple-A, ready to make his major league comeback after 2024.

Graterol underwent labrum surgery in November 2024. The shoulder surgery has already sidelined him for a season and a half. Now his MLB return is in jeopardy after suffering a new back injury.

While rehabbing in Triple-A, Graterol experienced back pain during his minor-league outing on May 12. This back injury has pushed the reliever into a second round of months-long recovery.

The Dodgers and Graterol have reportedly explored other options before concluding that surgery is the only viable option.

“I fell again, but I won’t stay down here. I will rise,” Graterol reportedly wrote on Instagram, post-surgery. “My goal isn’t over — it’s just beginning.”

Under a one-year, $2.8 million contract, Graterol has pitched only 7.1 innings during the regular season in 2024. He was also a part of the Dodgers’ roster for the 2024 World Series, throwing 2.1 innings in 3 games against the New York Yankees.

He holds an 11-9 record with a career ERA of 2.78 in 188 games.

Brusdar Graterol will become a free agent after this season. If he wants to return this year, he will have to recover rapidly, with only three months left in the regular season.