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The Los Angeles Dodgers lost yet another pitcher to an injury on Sunday.
Before their World Series rematch against the New York Yankees on Sunday Night Baseball, the Dodgers placed relief pitcher Luis Garcia on the injured list with an adductor injury. The news continued an alarming trend for the defending champions.
As noted by USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Dodgers now have 15 pitchers on their injured list.
That's more pitchers than teams carry on their active roster, so the Dodgers have a full rotation and bullpen of injured talent.
Signed to a $182 million deal, Blake Snell made just two starts before going on the 60-day IL with a shoulder injury. Their other substantial offseason rotation addition, Roki Sasaki, is also sidelined with a shoulder injury after struggling mightily in his MLB debut.
After pitching a career-high 134 innings last year, Tyler Glasnow was sidelined in late April with right shoulder inflammation. Th e Dodgers transferred him to the 60-day IL on Saturday.
Gavin Stone, who led the team with 140.1 innings pitched in 2024, is expected to miss the entire 2025 season recovering from shoulder surgery. Emmet Sheehan hasn't pitched since the 2023 postseason.
Meanwhile, a seemingly stacked bullpen is also depleted to start June.
Michael Kopech has yet to pitch this season, and Blake Treinen injured his forearm in April. Kirby Yates is working his way back from a hamstring injury, and the Dodgers announced Saturday that Evan Phillips is expected to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.
Garcia posted a 4.50 ERA in 26 innings with the Dodgers this season. Only lefties Alex Vesia and Tanner Scott have made more ap pearances out of their bullpen than the 38-year-old righty.
Brusdar Graterol, Kyle Hurt, Michael Grove, River Ryan, and Edgardo Henriquez are also on the IL.
It's worth noting that those 15 pitchers don't include Shohei Ohtani, who hasn't appeared on an MLB mound since August 2023. The reigning MVP faced live hitters at Dodger Stadium before Saturday's game, but the superstar slugger is not expected to rejoin the starting rotation before the All-Star break.
Despite this onslaught of pitching injuries, the Dodgers lead the National League West with a 36-22 record. They entered Sunday with a 4.11 team ERA, but their offense leads the majors in on-base percentage (.347), slugging percentage (.472), and runs per game (5.86).
One of their few healthy pitchers standing, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, will look to continue a Cy Young-caliber start when the Dodgers host the Yankees on Sunday night.
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Rookie pitcher's emergence a promising sign for Yankees' future
Cam Schlittler continues being a ray of light for the New York Yankees. The rookie starter threw another gem on Monday in a 10-5 win over the Washington Nationals, giving the Yankees reason for optimism amid an up-and-down 2025 season. Schlittler pitched six shutout innings against the Nationals, striking out eight batters and allowing four hits on 96 pitches (63 strikes). The No. 3 prospect in the Yankees farm system entering 2025, Schlittler made his MLB debut on July 9. After posting a 4.91 earned run average (ERA) in three July starts, Schlittler has been much better in August. Following Monday's win, Schlittler has a 1.65 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 27.2 innings this month. He's only allowed one earned run and seven hits over his last three starts (17.2 innings). Schlittler, who ranks in the 95th percentile in MLB average fastball velocity (h/t Baseball Savant), didn't waste time showing off his impressive heat. The 2022 seventh-rounder struck out Nationals lead-off hitter James Wood with a 101 mph four-seam fastball in the top of the first. In the top of the third, he showed more of his repertoire by striking out Wood swinging on an 85 mph curve. Schlittler had three strikeouts in the fifth, getting Paul DeJong and Dylan Crews out on high 98 mph four-seam fastballs and Jacob Young with a 91 mph cutter on the outside corner of the strike zone. Arguably, no team has had more dizzying highs and frustrating lows than the Yankees this season. At one point, New York led the AL East by seven games, and it was 42-25 after a mid-June sweep of the Kansas City Royals. In 64 games since, the Yankees are 29-35. Entering Monday, they were 5.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays (77-55) for first in the division. Schlittler's emergence has been a breath of fresh air in a season that has gone from promising to frustrating. The Yankees have struggled at finding a fifth starter, and prized free-agent signing Max Fried has had a rough couple of months since the beginning of July, posting a 5.95 ERA over his last nine starts. New York still has a long way to go to re-legitimizing itself as an AL contender, but Schlittler has been a step in the right direction.
How Browns feel about Deshaun Watson amid unsettled quarterback situation
Deshaun Watson has become somewhat of a forgotten figure regarding the Cleveland Browns' unique quarterback situation that could involve the club having starter Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders on the roster for its Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. For an article published on Monday, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer noted that Watson will miss at least the first four games of the 2025 season after he suffered a torn Achilles last October and then tore the Achilles again during his recovery. However, it sounds like the Browns haven't yet completely closed the door on Watson returning to the active roster before Week 18 wraps up. "He’s coming along well in his rehab from his re-torn Achilles repair and could be ready to go later in the season," Cabot wrote about Watson. "Whether or not the Browns will activate him remains to be seen, but they’ve been happy with how he’s attacked his rehab and how he’s helped the other QBs, especially Gabriel and Sanders." Watson has made just 19 regular-season starts with the Browns since he received a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract from the club in March 2022. He served an 11-game suspension related to allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions to open his first campaign with Cleveland. His 2023 season ended prematurely because of a shoulder issue. He then lost six of seven starts last season before he went down with the initial Achilles injury. It was suggested earlier this month that Watson could essentially force the Browns to move him to the 53-man roster if he's cleared to play this coming fall. Such a scenario theoretically would result in Cleveland having to part ways with a different signal-caller. While the previously mentioned Sanders is clearly fourth on Cleveland's current depth chart, Cabot wrote that the Browns like the rookie "a lot and will continue to develop him." Cabot added that "the Browns have always planned to keep four quarterbacks and will only pivot if someone makes them an offer they can’t refuse." Pickett presumably would become the odd man out regarding such a potential trade. Still, he first needs to fully recover from the hamstring injury he picked up on July 26 that kept him from playing in any preseason games. Meanwhile, Watson will continue his recovery behind the scenes after Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said earlier this year that Cleveland "took a big swing and miss with Deshaun." The Browns reportedly could escape Watson's deal next offseason.
Browns Release Former Steelers Starting WR
Ahead of today's 53-man roster deadline, the Cleveland Browns parted ways with a former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver who has been on quite the journey over the past year. Per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Cleveland released Diontae Johnson after signing him to a one-year contract worth $1.170 million in late April. The 29-year-old appeared in all three of the Browns' preseason games this year, finishing with two receptions for 19 yards on six targets. Cleveland's decision to cut ties with Johnson comes after they opted to trade former Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2026 fifth-round pick on Monday night amidst a logjam at the position. Pittsburgh selected Johnson out of Toledo in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft at No. 66 overall, which was a pick they acquired upon sending Antonio Brown to the Raiders. He immediately became a key piece of the Steelers' offense, logging 59 receptions for 680 yards and five touchdowns over 16 games (12 starts) as a rookie while also returning 20 punts for 248 yards and a score, earning him second-team All-Pro honors. During the 2020 campaign, Johnson finished with 88 catches for 923 yards and seven touchdowns across 15 contests (13 starts). He garnered the first and only Pro Bowl nod of his career in 2021 with 1,161 yards and eight scores on 107 receptions before posting a combined 1,599 yards and five touchdowns between the 2022 and 2023 campaigns. Pittsburgh later dealt him and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Carolina Panthers in March 2024 for cornerback Donte Jackson and a 2024 sixth-rounder, which was used on defensive lineman Logan Lee. Johnson logged 30 catches, 357 yards and three scores in seven games for Carolina before returning to the AFC North in a trade at last year's deadline that sent him to the Baltimore Ravens. His tenure with the team was rocky to say the least, as he was suspended after refusing to enter their Week 13 game against the Philadelphia Eagles and was released on Dec. 20. The Houston Texans claimed Johnson off waivers from Baltimore, though they too would cut ties with him after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
Raiders sign five-time Pro Bowl WR amid Jakobi Meyer drama
Hours after the NFL Network reported Jakobi Meyers requested a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders amid a contract dispute, the team added a veteran wide receiver. Per Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are signing Amari Cooper. "Reunion: Former Bills WR Amari Cooper, one of the NFL’s top free agents still available, is signing with the Raiders on a 1-year deal, per source," Rapoport posted on X. "Some late, big-time pass-catching help for the team that once drafted him in the first round." Cooper helps provide depth to a receiver room that was light at the position, even if the situation with Meyers was cleared up. Behind Meyers on the depth chart are receivers Tre Tucker and Dont'e Thornton Jr., a rookie fourth-round pick. The Oakland Raiders selected Cooper with the No. 4 pick in the 2015 draft. He's earned five Pro Bowl nominations, with his last appearance coming in 2023. Cooper has spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, and Buffalo Bills. The 31-year-old has appeared in 154 games and started 143, recording 711 receptions for 10,033 yards and 64 touchdowns. He recorded 297 yards receiving and two touchdowns in 2024. The signing gives Geno Smith another talented receiver to throw to this season. The Raiders have three solid targets with Meyers and second-year tight end Brock Bowers. Signing Cooper also gives the Raiders flexibility if they want to trade Meyers (or if he holds out), unhappy with playing in Las Vegas on the final season of his three-year, $33 million deal he signed in 2023.
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