Dodgers Dugout: Getting Kiké Hernández was nice, but doesn’t solve the real problem

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. A reminder, the trade deadline is Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 3 p.m. PT.

After Tony Gonsolin got torched for five runs in five innings on Wednesday, it became even more apparent what the biggest problem for the Dodgers is right now. They have a grand total of zero reliable starting pitchers.

Let’s take a look at the combined totals for the last five outings for the current rotation:

Gonsolin: 25.1 IP, 24 hits, 11 walks, 22 K’s, 6.40 ERA (team was 3-2 in those games)

Julio Urías: 26 IP, 26 hits, 8 walks, 24 K’s, 6.23 ERA (3-2)

Bobby Miller: 26 IP, 30 hits, 6 walks, 25 K’s, 5.88 ERA (4-1)

Michael Grove: 24.2 IP, 32 hits, 7 walks, 22 K’s, 4.38 ERA (3-2)

Emmet Sheehan: 23.1 IP, 27 hits, 14 walks, 19 K’s, 8.49 ERA (3-2)

That’s a combined 6.25 ERA in those 25 starts. Amazingly, the Dodgers have gone 16-9 in those games. Most of those wins are because of the great offense the Dodgers have, and some because, with a couple of exceptions, the Dodger bullpen is pitching much better now, picking up the slack for the starters and holding opponents in check, allowing the offense to mount a comeback.

But that’s not sustainable. You aren’t going to win a World Series when your starting pitchers combine for a 6.75 ERA.

It should help when and if Clayton Kershaw comes back. But we still don’t know what’s wrong with him, other than it’s his shoulder. And with the way the Dodgers have treated many injuries as state secrets in the past, you can’t be 100% sure he will be back, or how he will pitch if he does return.

But let’s say he comes back in early August at full strength. That still won’t be enough. One reliable starter won’t win you a World Series title. You can hope that Urías and/or Gonsolin return to form, but that’s looking less likely by the day.

However, don’t lose all hope. Andrew Friedman has proven in the past that he is not shy about acquiring reinforcements at the trade deadline. Rich Hill, Yu Darvish, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner. He acquired Manny Machado after Corey Seager was injured. Some of these deals worked out better than others, but no one was complaining when the deals were made. There seems little doubt that a deal for pitching will be made this season. But for whom? We went over the top candidates recently, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Welcome back

The Dodgers have already made one trade, sending minor league pitchers Nick Robertson and Justin Hagenman to the Boston Red Sox for ... Kiké Hernández (what, they wouldn’t throw in Justin Turner too?)

Hernández signed with the Red Sox after the 2020 season, and after a strong 2021, has slumped the last couple of seasons. He hit .222 last year, and hit .222/.279/.320 for the Red Sox this season. Boston, however, played him a lot against right-handed pitching, and he has always struggled against righties. Against left-handers this season, he is hitting .263/.315/.338. Not exactly Babe Ruth, but serviceable. He also gives the Dodgers depth at virtually every position and should be a welcome addition to the bench with his cheerleader style and levity.

Not to mention you are getting a guy who has appeared in 69 postseason games, hitting .269/.351/.550. Is it a difference-maker of a deal? No. But I’d rather have Hernández at this point than Miguel Vargas or Yonny Hernández.

“When we had him the first time [he had] a strong desire to be an everyday player,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I don’t fault him for it. That’s what you want from all your guys.”

“But,” Roberts added, “I just kind of talked to him about my expectations of the role [this season]. He’s a very intelligent person so he knows what kind of team we have here. I think he understands how he fits in with our group.”

And Hernández is fine with that.

“For now I’m going to play against lefties. I’m gonna be moving around [defensively],” he said. “With the season that I was having, I’m not in any position to be asking for playing time or anything like that.”

Another new face

The Dodgers made a deal Wednesday, sending pitcher Noah Syndergaard to the Cleveland Guardians for shortstop Amed Rosario.

Syndergaard signed a $13-million, one-year deal in the offseason and was a complete bust, going 1-4 with a 7.16 ERA.

Rosario is in his seventh season and is a career .273/.308/.400 hitter (95 OPS+) but hitting only .265/.306/.369 this season (89 OPS+). He has been much better against lefties though at .303/.345/.477. He will bring speed to the lineup, as he led the AL with nine triples last season and has six this season. He is 27 and has a one-year, $7-million deal.

The troubling news is this: According to most defensive metrics, Rosario is the worst fielding shortstop in the majors this season. So while he would be an offensive upgrade over Miguel Rojas, he would be a significant defensive downgrade. He has also played 25 games in the outfield in the majors, though none this season.

The good news: The Dodgers didn’t give up much for him, unloading a guy they weren’t going to use the rest of the year anyway. Plus, Rosario has tremendous upside. He was above average offensively in 2021 and 2022. Since June 1 he is hitting .301.

These two trades make it unlikely we will see Vargas back in the majors this season, unless it’s when rosters expand in September.

So, at this point, a few days before the trade deadline, the Dodgers got two players who have promise against left-handed pitching, one of whom can’t field very well. Not the most exciting trades you’ll ever see. But it seems apparent that the Dodgers are not done yet.

They aren’t getting Ohtani

The Dodgers will not be trading for Shohei Ohtani. How do we know? On Wednesday, the Angels traded two of their top three prospects to the Chicago White Sox for starting pitcher Lucas Giolito and reliever Reynaldo López. The Angels don’t make that move if they are going to trade Ohtani.

This works out well, because here are the results from last week’s “Should the Dodgers trade for Shohei Ohtani” poll, after 17,155 votes:

No, 81.2%
Yes, but for no more than 3-4 prospects, 14.3%
Yes, even if it take 5-6 prospects, 4.5%

The next new face?

For you rumor mongers out there, the Dodgers are heavily linked to St. Louis third baseman Nolan Arenado, a truly great player. But those same rumors have the Dodgers giving up Bobby Miller and a couple of other pitching prospects (such as Gavin Stone and Ryan Pepiot), along with Chris Taylor and/or Max Muncy for him. The Cardinals could throw in pitcher Jordan Montgomery or Jack Flaherty in the deal. It’s tough to judge a deal before it happens, and it would be a mistake to give up Miller, but if they can give up Stone and Pepiot instead, the trade would certainly provide a boost. Arenado is signed through 2027.

Outman is back

James Outman had an amazing April and was named NL Rookie of the Month. Then he fell into a tailspin. But no more. A look (batting average/on-base %/slugging %):

April: .292/.376/.615
May: .165/.261/.291
June: .224/.297/.254
July: .323/.440/.500

It’s nice to see a rookie figure things out after the league adjusts to him. Outman may never become a superstar, but he should be a useful part of the Dodgers outfield for years to come.

Recently

How the Dodgers have fared over the last two weeks:

Batting

Kiké Hernández, .500/.500/.500, 2 for 4

Jonny Deluca, .444/.444/.778, 4 for 9, 1 homer

Jake Marisnick, .400/.500/.400, 2 for 5

Freddie Freeman, .383/.500/.766, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, 10 RBIs

James Outman, .351/.500/.487, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBIs

Will Smith, .319/.373/.447, 6 doubles, 6 RBIs

J.D. Martinez, .297/.372/.541, 3 homers, 12 RBIs

Mookie Betts, .280/.390/.400, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 6 RBIs

Chris Taylor, .250/.314/.438, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 7 RBIs

David Peralta, .243/.263/.297, 2 doubles, 5 RBIs

Jason Heyward, .238/.360/.571, 1 double, 2 homers, 4 RBIs

Max Muncy, .192/.316/.489, 2 doubles, 4 homers, 14 RBIs

Miguel Rojas, .158/.289/.158, 1 RBI

Austin Barnes, .154/.214/.154, 2 for 13

Yonny Hernández, .083/.214/.083, 1 for 12

Team, .273/.370/.447, 23 doubles, 1 triple, 17 homers, 6.33 runs per game

Pitching

Rotation

Michael Grove, 1-0, 2.79 ERA, 9.2 IP, 13 hits, 2 walks, 10 K’s

Bobby Miller, 1-0, 3.38 ERA, 10.2 IP, 10 hits, 1 walk, 11 K’s

Julio Urias, 1-1, 5.82 ERA, 17 IP, 17 hits, 5 walks, 14 K’s

Tony Gonsolin, 0-1, 6.00 ERA, 15 IP, 11 hits, 7 walks, 14 K’s

Emmet Sheehan, 1-1, 12.46 ERA, 8.2 IP, 13 hits, 8 walks, 6 K’s

Bullpen

Yency Almonte, 0.00 ERA, 6 IP, 1 hit, 0 walks, 6 K’s

Ryan Brasier, 1-0, 1 save, 0.00 ERA, 5.2 IP, 1 hit, 2 walks, 2 K’s

Evan Phillips, 0.00 ERA, 4 IP, 2 hits, 4 K’s

Caleb Ferguson, 1.42 ERA, 6.1 IP, 5 hits, 6 walks, 8 K’s

Brusdar Graterol, 2-0, 2.08 ERA, 4.1 IP, 2 hits, 1 walk, 4 K’s

Phil Bickford, 0-1, 2.45 ERA, 7.1 IP, 6 hits, 6 walks, 3 K’s

Alex Vesia, 3.18 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 hits, 1 walk, 8 K’s

Justin Bruihl, 5.40 ERA, 5 IP, 3 hits, 5 walks, 4 K’s

Nick Robertson, 0-1, 5.40 ERA, 1.2 IP, 5 hits, 0 walks, 2 K’s

Tyson Miller, 9.00 ERA, 2 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 1 K

Team, 7-5, 1 save, 4.29 ERA, 109 IP, 94 hits, 45 walks, 97 K’s

Annette O’Malley

Annette O’Malley, wife of former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley, died this week after a long battle with lung disease.

Dodgers fans probably never heard her name much when Peter owned the team, but having recently celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary, there is one thing I have learned: No man accomplishes much without a strong woman by his side.

Bill Shaikin wrote a nice appreciation of Annette O’Malley here. I’m going to cherrypick some key quotes:

Former Dodgers intern and executive Derrick Hall: “It was always Annette who greeted me with a thank you, and by name. It was shocking to me that the owner’s wife would know who an intern was, but that was who she was. She made everyone feel like they were part of the family, which was important to Peter. If you worked for the Dodgers, be it in the minor leagues or on Elysian Park Avenue, you were part of the O’Malley family. I would give her as much credit as I would give Peter.”

Jaime Jarrín, the Dodgers’ retired Hall of Fame announcer: “Really, I don’t have enough words to tell you how sweet she was.”

Peter O’Malley sent along something to share with newsletter readers, simply saying: “I married an angel.”

Injuries

The Dodgers made room for Kiké Hernández on the roster by putting outfielder Jonny Deluca on the 10-day IL with a strained hamstring. Deluca was injured running to first during Tuesday’s win over Toronto.

Up next

Friday: Cincinnati (*Brandon Williamson, 2-2, 4.60 ERA at Dodgers (Bobby Miller, 6-1, 4.28 ERA), 7 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Cincinnati (Luke Weaver, 2-2, 7.20 ERA at Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 3-1, 6.75 ERA), 6 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Cincinnati (Graham Ashcraft, 5-7, 5.64 ERA at Dodgers (Michael Grove, 2-2, 6.19 ERA), 1 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Kiké Hernández is ready to do whatever is needed in second stint with Dodgers

Plaschke: Forever the Bulldog, Orel Hershiser should never be forgotten for his heroics in 1988

Will Dodgers rotation woes force them to be more aggressive at trade deadline?

Nolan Arenado to the Dodgers? Cardinals, Dodgers have had trade talks

Appreciation: With warmth and generosity, Annette O’Malley cultivated Dodgers’ family atmosphere

Hernández: Yes, the Dodgers are in first place. They still need to go big at the trade deadline

Dodgers give Freddie Freeman high marks for his defense. So why do the computers say differently?

How the Dodgers farm system factors into their deadline plans, Shohei Ohtani pursuit

And finally

Ross Porter chats with former Dodgers catcher Rick Dempsey about a practical joke played on Steve Sax. Watch and listen here.