The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Wednesday that starting pitcher Eric Lauer has been placed on the injured list due to elbow inflammation, a move that further strains an already depleted starting rotation. This unexpected development occurred as a corresponding roster move to the activation of reliever Blake Treinen from the injured list.
Lauer's placement on the IL comes after he allowed seven runs in three innings during the Dodgers' 13-8 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. He becomes the third Dodgers starter to land on the injured list in recent weeks, significantly impacting the team's pitching depth as they contend for a top National League playoff seed.
Prior to Lauer's injury, Justin Wrobleski was sidelined with forearm inflammation last month. While Wrobleski returned Tuesday, he has been moved to the bullpen for the remainder of the season due to issues with giving up home runs. Roki Sasaki was also placed on the injured list last week with a blister on his finger and may also transition to a bullpen role upon his potential return next weekend.
Shohei Ohtani also experienced a setback in his pitching progression over the weekend, with his scheduled return to the mound postponed due to ongoing discomfort in his knee and biceps. These absences had already reduced the Dodgers to a five-man rotation, prompting plans to call up a pitcher, likely Emmet Sheehan, for a spot start this weekend.
With Lauer's injury, the Dodgers must now find a more permanent replacement to supplement their current core starters: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow. The team is evaluating options to solidify the rotation for the remainder of the regular season and the postseason.
On the relief front, Treinen's return from a mid-June elbow inflammation stint provides an experienced option. However, his performance over the past two injury-plagued seasons has been inconsistent. Prior to his injury this season, Treinen posted a 3.52 ERA in 29 appearances, an improvement from his 5.40 ERA in 2025, but still below his career performance with the Dodgers. To make room for Treinen on the 40-man roster, injured reliever Will Klein was transferred to the 60-day injured list, ruling him out for the regular season but keeping him eligible for the postseason, contingent on his recovery from an elbow issue.
IMAGE4 Blake Treinen of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after striking out Anthony Rizzo of the New York Yankees with two runners on to end the eighth inning of Game 5 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, October 30, 2024.