Dodgers’ rotation has plenty of talent. But will a lack of depth haunt them in 2022?

Dave Roberts believes the Dodgers may have probably the greatest rotations in baseball.

“I’d put us someplace within the high 10,” he mentioned on “The Dan Patrick Present” final month.

It’s additionally the group that worries the seventh-year supervisor probably the most.

“I believe in all probability beginning pitching depth,” Roberts informed reporters on the final day of spring coaching in Arizona, when requested what a part of the group issues him when he unwinds each evening. “I believe that’s in all probability the factor that occupies my thoughts.”

For all of the expertise the Dodgers have amassed of their assortment of beginning pitchers, they’re missing the confirmed depth they’ve grown accustomed to in recent times. The ceiling is as excessive as ever for the group, however the ground additionally appears precariously low.

And on the daybreak of a brand new season, it’s shaping as much as be maybe probably the most consequential space of the roster. Whereas a star-studded lineup is probably the most spectacular a part of the 2022 Dodgers, the success of their beginning rotation may be a very powerful.

“I believe it’s about our beginning pitching,” Roberts mentioned whereas making his title assure to Patrick. “Simply holding our guys wholesome.”

There’s little doubt concerning the expertise of the group’s main trio.

Walker Buehler will high the rotation because the opening day starter for the primary time in his profession. It’s an honor the right-hander earned after a powerful 2021 marketing campaign, when he posted a 2.47 ERA, 212 strikeouts and a 16-4 file to complete fourth in Cy Younger Award voting.

He did all of it with out lacking a begin, compiling 207⅔ innings over 33 outings (then 4 extra begins within the playoffs, together with two on brief relaxation).

“His objective is to exit and do what he did final yr from a repeat standpoint, go wire to wire, make each begin,” pitching coach Mark Prior mentioned. “Actually be a drive and affect this group in a extremely constructive manner.”

Julio Urías is plotting his personal reprisal of a powerful 2021. In his first full season as a full-time starter, the left-hander posted a 2.96 ERA with 195 strikeouts. He was Main League Baseball’s solely 20-game winner. He completed seventh in Cy Younger voting.

“He’s acquired the pedigree behind him,” Prior mentioned. “Now it’s about repeating what he did final yr.”

Then there’s Clayton Kershaw, who after re-signing with the group on a one-year deal this winter has been one among this spring’s greatest surprises.

Regardless of delaying his offseason throwing program whereas recovering from an elbow damage that saved him out of the playoffs final yr, Kershaw acquired again on schedule throughout camp and will likely be out there for the beginning of the season. He hopes to rebound from the three.55 ERA he posted final yr, the best since his rookie season in 2008.

“It’s been undoubtedly a pleasing shock,” Prior mentioned. “It’s in all probability honest to say that a few of us in all probability anticipated him to be [ready to pitch] later in April, Could type-situation.” Prior mentioned.

Kershaw, nonetheless, additionally embodies the troubles surrounding this yr’s employees.

Not since 2015 has he made it by a season and not using a journey to the injured record. And although he believes his elbow has absolutely healed, the damage was a major one which required a platelet-rich plasma injection and virtually led to Tommy John surgical procedure.

Buehler and Urías, coming off career-high workloads from a season in the past, will likely be making an attempt to remain wholesome as nicely.

“You’re all the time one pitch away from dropping a man,” Prior mentioned. “After which whenever you’re dropping, perhaps one among your high three or 4 guys, or any of your guys that you just’re anticipating to depend on to supply a reasonably large chunk of innings for you, that’s an enormous concern. However I’m going to [be glass] half-full proper now. We’re in a great spot.”

The Dodgers have been in higher spots in years previous, although, once they had skilled depth with such pitchers as Wealthy Hill, Alex Wooden and Kenta Maeda.

This yr may very well be completely different, with a probably drastic drop-off if one (or extra) of the group’s high arms goes down.

Tony Gonsolin and Andrew Heaney will start the season as the opposite two members of the rotation, high-upside pitchers who’ve been extremely inconsistent of their careers.

Gonsolin was spectacular in his occasional massive league cameos in 2019 and 2020, however regressed over 15 outings (13 begins) final season. His 3.23 ERA was first rate, however his stroll charge doubled, his means to work deep into begins diminished, and his fielding impartial pitching (a stat just like ERA that isolates pitchers’ performances from protection and batted ball luck) rose to 4.54.

Heaney is equally tough to mission. The Dodgers signed the previous Angels starter aiming to unlock his long-envisioned potential, hopeful a brand new slider will work successfully together with his fastball-changeup arsenal.

The left-hander has solely posted a sub-4.00 ERA as soon as in eight MLB seasons. He’s additionally coming off a career-worst season in 2021, when he had a 7.32 ERA over 30 outings with the Angels and New York Yankees.

The Dodgers — whose highest-paid pitcher, Trevor Bauer, stays on administrative depart awaiting a attainable suspension from MLB — have few different confirmed beginning pitching alternate options.

Veteran Tyler Anderson signed throughout spring camp and is anticipated to start the season in a bulk-inning position out of the bullpen. Veteran David Worth, within the final yr of his contract, has constructed up slowly this spring.

High pitching prospects Ryan Pepiot, Bobby Miller, Andre Jackson and Landon Knack may all discover their technique to the large leagues in some unspecified time in the future, however they want extra minor league expertise .

Dustin Could is anticipated again from Tommy John surgical procedure after the All-Star break, although his actual timeline stays unclear.

The Dodgers’ perception is that, not less than early within the season, they’ll have sufficient choices within the bullpen to cowl any deficiencies from the again of the rotation.

If their high starters stay wholesome, or in the event that they bolster the group with a midseason commerce, they need to boast the sort of top-end expertise to make a push within the playoffs.

If their talent-rich lineup lives as much as expectations, the Dodgers may additionally stand up to a slight drop in general manufacturing from a employees that led the majors in group ERA final yr.

But, on a group that has shored up virtually each different a part of the roster, the pitching rotation stays an space crammed with query marks.

At season’s finish, it may show to be a power, the catalyst for an additional World Collection quest.

However there’s an opportunity it turns into the Dodgers’ greatest weak spot as a substitute, stirring up the kind of season-opening uncertainty they’ve hardly ever felt of their beginning pitching earlier than.

“There’s all the time this low-level anxious feeling or nervousness,” Prior mentioned. “However issues have labored out to our profit [in the past]. You’ve acquired to grind it out each day. And a number of that’s on the gamers, they usually exit and do their job.”