With injuries thinning their starting rotation, the Dodgers acquired left-hander Eric Lauer from the Blue Jays for cash considerations and moved Brusdar Graterol to the 60-day injured list to make room. Lauer, 30, was designated for assignment by Toronto last
ANAHEIM — The Dodgers didn’t just look for another arm. They looked for rotation insurance, the kind that matters when the calendar keeps moving and the injury list keeps growing.
The team acquired left-hander Eric Lauer from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the Angels. To clear space on the 40-man roster, righty reliever Brusdar Graterol was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Lauer, 30, was designated for assignment by Toronto last Monday. For the Blue Jays this season. he went 1-5 with a 6.69 ERA and surrendered an AL-leading 11 homers in eight appearances. including six starts. His recent history includes moments of relief against this matchup: last postseason. he pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the Dodgers in two World Series outings.
In eight big league seasons, Lauer has gone 46-44 with a 4.26 ERA. He has primarily been a starter, which is exactly why the Dodgers are interested. Manager Dave Roberts expects Lauer to join the Dodgers at some point during the upcoming three-game series in San Diego. He’ll initially serve as a length option in the bullpen.
The timing of the acquisition is tied directly to what the Dodgers are dealing with right now. Tyler Glasnow is out with lower back spasms. Blake Snell is sidelined with loose bodies in his left elbow. With those injuries in place, the Dodgers have only five starting pitchers on the active roster.
They do have one other healthy starter on the 40-man roster: No. 6 prospect River Ryan. Ryan just returned to action after being sidelined with a hamstring injury. The Dodgers also want him to get more experience in Triple-A before returning to the big league club in his first season back from Tommy John surgery.
That leaves the Dodgers short-handed on the kind of rotation they normally run. They typically use a six-man rotation, but in the absence of Snell on Friday they leaned on bullpen depth, running a bullpen game in his place. Eight relievers combined to shut out the Angels.
More bullpen games could be part of the immediate roadmap, but the Dodgers are wary of overworking their relievers. They can reach next Thursday’s off-day with five starters. but after that. they’ll have to navigate another stretch of six straight games while still giving their starters the rest they’re accustomed to.
The pressure builds further with a looming schedule swing: the Dodgers begin a stretch of 19 games in 20 days from May 29 through June 17. If Glasnow isn’t active by the end of the month. Lauer could potentially become part of the solution—another way to keep the rotation from breaking down under the weight of the next few weeks.
Los Angeles Dodgers Eric Lauer Brusdar Graterol Blue Jays Tyler Glasnow Blake Snell rotation depth 60-day injured list River Ryan Dave Roberts