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Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Ben Casparius (78) comes off the field after pitching against the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning at Globe Life Field.

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By TJ French | Last updated May 21, 2025 7:21 PM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been hit like no other team in MLB over the last month with injuries, especially on the pitching side. Perennial All-Stars in Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell have had to miss extended time, and other high-leverage bullpen arms like Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech, and Blake Treinen have seen limited time on the mound this season. And most recently, it's Roki Sasaki who needs an Injured List stint to fix a shoulder problem.

Despite this, the Dodgers have still been able to find success as they have strong star power like Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, and Will Smith carrying the offensive load.

However, it's becoming apparent that they need some aid in the starting rotation, and running guys like Landon Knack isn't going to cut it. Clayton Kershaw got banged around in his first start this season, and Tony Gonsolin may not be as reliable when not pitching against the Miami Marlins. So that begs the question: Should Los Angeles consider moving Ben Casparius to the starting rotation? At least for now, until other guys get healthy.

When Casparius first came up with the team, he was clearly in a long relief role. During the 2025 season, over 30.2 innings, Casparius has a 3.23 ERA and a 1.91 FIP.

However, in outings where he has been asked to pitch longer, like earlier this month, he gave four quality innings in a Dodgers bullpen game to ensure a Los Angeles victory.

Casparius himself has also said he's comfortable with being extended, and that he can throw up to 70-80 pitches.

The Dodgers need pitching help now, especially in the starting rotation, and Casparius makes perfect sense instead of having to struggle to get innings out of other pitchers. Casparius has also seen a velocity and spin rate increase, and is starting to develop into a really quality option for the Dodgers.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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