The Los Angeles Dodgers have faced significant challenges with pitching staff injuries in recent seasons. Last year alone, twelve Dodgers pitchers were placed on the injured list, leading to a depleted starting rotation and an overtaxed bullpen during the postseason. Despite these obstacles, the Dodgers ultimately secured the World Series championship. However, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged that the team’s aggressive pursuit of pitching talent this winter was, in part, a response to these recurring injury issues.
“I’m sure some of [our past injury problems] created some of the mindset this offseason,” Friedman stated, as reported by Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. “Just to be as prepared as we possibly could be.”
Los Angeles Dodgers Trying New Approach To Pitcher Conditioning
Looking beyond short-term fixes, veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw revealed a potential long-term strategy the Dodgers plan to implement in 2025.
“I think the Dodgers are going to change that a little bit,” Kershaw shared on Foul Territory. “I think the guys are going to start throwing more in the minor leagues.” He elaborated, “There might be something to be said about just throwing more, some endurance-based throwing. Maybe just building up your strength without throwing as hard as you can, just throwing more pitches, more throws in between starts. We’ve tried the less approach, maybe we need to do the more approach. Which it seems pretty oversimplified, and I know there’s a lot more to it, but it’s probably worth a shot.”
The Dodgers recognize that there’s no single, easy solution to their pitching injury woes, and they intend to experiment with various methods to improve pitcher health moving forward. Kershaw’s endorsement of increased throwing volume suggests a promising direction for the team.