Shaky state of this unit should be concerning for Dodgers

The Dodgers acquired Banda from the Cleveland Guardians on May 17 and hope he will be available to pitch at least once before the regular season concludes. Banda suffered a hairline fracture in his hand after hitting a paper towel dispenser out of frustration following an outing earlier in September.

The only starting pitchers currently listed on the Dodgers' 40-man roster are Walker Buehler, Ben Casparius, Jack Flaherty, Landon Knack and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The team would be greatly aided if Gonsolin, Banda and Kershaw were available for inclusion on the trimmed-down 26-man postseason roster. Gonsolin was an All-Star in 2022, posting an impressive 16-1 record and a 2.14 ERA. Kershaw is a future Hall of Famer despite his well-known struggles in playoff games. Meanwhile, Banda is an eight-year veteran who has a 3.23 ERA this season and is averaging more than one strikeout per inning pitched.

Yamamoto and Flaherty are likely to be featured prominently in the Dodgers' postseason rotation. They both have solid ERAs, with Yamamoto at 2.96 and Flaherty at 3.40. Opponents have a batting average of only .228 against Yamamoto and .247 against Flaherty, who's starting Wednesday against the Padres.

Buehler has struggled this season (1-6 record and a 5.63 ERA), yielding 84 hits in 70.1 innings and averaging less than five innings per outing. However, he has extensive experience and the confidence of Roberts. Knack, in his first major league season, has been steady, holding batters to a .215 average. He figures to play a role in the postseason.

If Gonsolin, Banda and Kershaw are healthy enough to supplement Yamamoto, Flaherty and Buehler, the Dodgers should have ample arms to compete in the playoffs. If they aren't, Los Angeles may face another early exit from the postseason.