The All-Star break is in the rearview mirror, and teams across the league are shifting into high gear for the final stretch of the season. But for the Dodgers, the path forward feels more like damage control than a playoff push. Well, their latest stumble, a 7-10 loss to the Twins, marks their fourth defeat in the last five games. And with the Padres closing the gap fast, the pressure is mounting.
Now, for the Dodgers, the story hasn’t changed much since Opening Day. The offense shows up, but the pitching and defense often don’t. On some nights, the bats carry the team to victory; on others, the scoreboard tells a tale of collapse. The second game against the Twins just replicated the same script. And now, as the Dodgers continue to waver, it seems even manager Dave Roberts is running out of patience.
“It better be rock bottom, as far as how we’ve been pitching, how we’ve been playing defense. I think the offense is starting to kind of tick up, which is good. … But yeah, I think as far as quality of baseball, it’s been a tough watch,” Roberts said, being brutally honest about the team’s pitching and defense during the post-game presser.
Jun 21, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) looks on from the dugout in the 10th inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Well, you just had to see it to believe it. The latest game against the Twins? For the Dodgers’ defense, it was an absolute comedy of errors. It actually started off pretty promising in the second inning with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound. Things were looking good, but then the Twins pounced. They took advantage of some sloppy defense and managed to put up three runs. And believe us, that was just a preview of the chaos to come.
Picture this: runners on the corners, and Royce Lewis hit a chopper to third. Miguel Rojas couldn’t handle it cleanly. The ball sort of squirted away to Mookie Betts, who then tried to make the play for the force at second. But his throw? It pulled Hyeseong Kim completely off the bag, letting another run waltz home. Yamamoto did manage to strike out Harrison Bader after that, which should have ended the inning. But then, he left a 1-2 splitter hanging, and Christian Vazquez absolutely ripped it off the wall in left-center. The result? Two more runs, all unearned. Just brutal.
And if that wasn’t enough to make you wince, the bullpen collapsed afterward. So, with the game still tied after five, things just fell apart for the Dodgers in the sixth. The Twins hammered six more runs against the relievers Roberts brought in during the sixth and seventh innings. What’s even wilder is Ben Casparius and Will Klein combined to walk six of the eight batters they faced in that stretch. Still, the struggles didn’t end there.
Edgardo Henriquez decided to join the defensive party by throwing a routine grounder into right field, a play that should have been simple, but instead, it cleared the bases and brought in three more runs. At that point, you’ve just got to think, “Surely, that’s rock bottom for the Dodgers’ defense. Right?” We genuinely feel for Roberts right now, and you can’t help but wonder what he’s cooking up for the trade deadline.
Dodgers’ desperate need for external assistance
Given the way the Dodgers’ defense has been performing, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see they’re in dire need of some external help via trade. Roberts himself pretty much confirmed it: “If there’s a trade that needs to be made for a high-leverage guy, we’ll do that. We’ve had some good success with that. So, you know, the team, the guys are working hard and kind of trying to figure out what makes sense for the roster.” He’s made his stance crystal clear.
The Dodgers are apparently rumored to be eyeing a few starting pitchers and relievers. One name that keeps popping up? Pirates right-handed pitcher David Bednar. Now, Bednar had a rough start to the 2025 season, especially in that opening series against the Marlins, where he took two losses and posted an ugly 27.00 ERA. The Pirates rightly sent him down to Triple-A Indianapolis on April 1, but he quickly found his footing there, allowing just one hit and no runs over five outings.
He was called back up on April 19, and honestly, he’s been lights out ever since. Currently, in 33 appearances since returning to the big leagues, Bednar has rediscovered his top form, putting up a stellar 1.74 ERA across 31 innings. So, he might be a good yet cost-effective option for the Dodgers, especially with Casparius likely heading to the IL.
Another potential high-leverage target could be Jhoan Duran. This guy is a flamethrower who regularly hits triple digits, and he’s got a nasty splitter and a sharp curveball to boot. He’s been absolutely dominant in 2025 with a 1.66 ERA and hasn’t given up a single home run all season. So yeah, the asking price will undoubtedly be high, but Duran is exactly the kind of arm that could truly stabilize and elevate the Dodgers’ bullpen. He could bring that much-needed sense of late-game security that’s been noticeably missing from Dodgers games.
So, there are definitely a few intriguing names for the Dodgers to consider. And honestly, we’re almost certain that we’ll see one or two new faces shining in Dodgers blue in the bullpen after the trade deadline.
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