Dodgers trade for Tarik Skubal, fans and owners express outrage
The Dodgers are acquiring Tarik Skubal in a move that leaves some in the baseball world calling for a salary cap.
How bad are the Los Angeles Dodgers right now? Let us count the ways.
Los Angeles has now dropped seven consecutive games, which coincides with the team making a huge acquisition in pitcher supreme Tarik Skubal.
This streak is the longest since the team dropped seven in a row back in July 2025. As a reminder, the Blue Crew lost 11 consecutive games in September 2017. But there is no way this iteration of the team can slide so far, right?
With so much promise on the mound and stars in the lineup, the Dodgers look perfectly inoculated from such a slump. But let’s diagnose the issues from least troublesome to most glaring.
Dodgers’ biggest issues during losing streak
Eric Lauer no longer unstoppable
The newly acquired pitching stopgap was doing just that, preventing the Dodgers from losing games anytime he took the bump. Prior to his most recent start, Lauer was 5-0 with a 2.88 ERA since coming over from the Toronto Blue Jays.
That’s when the stink of the new Dodgers form got to him. On Aug. 5, he got knocked around the ballpark to the tune of 11 hits across four innings, giving up six earned runs.
Edwin Diaz continues to struggle
Edwin Diaz came to the Dodgers amid the blaring trumpets of promise but has landed like the long drawn-out cacophony of a whoopee cushion.
Diaz started the season by giving up seven earned runs, while striking out 10 in six innings of work. Then came his three-month sojourn to the injured list.
The closer returned on July 29 and has spent most of his time admiring home runs. In four games of work, he has pitched three innings, given up two home runs and surrendered four earned runs.
Injuries abound
Will Smith’s neck was a big issue, but then Dalton Rushing and his brash backstop play gave the Dodgers a boost. That is, until Rushing went down with a torn UCL.
The Dodgers now look to Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia to guide the staff for the foreseeable future. And that’s just the maladies behind the plate.
Los Angeles will welcome back some fresh arms, but the recent slide can possibly be attributed to a pitching staff that has been without Diaz, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow for considerable durations of the season. Add to that Shohei Ohtani’s ongoing knee issues, and L.A. is certainly eager to see what healthy pitching can do for the staff.
Offense suddenly stagnant
The Dodgers are first in MLB OPS with .770 as a team and are fourth in runs scored (628). In August, things have shifted dramatically.
The team’s .706 OPS is good for 16th across MLB during the month, and they are 22nd in runs scored during the month. During the seven-game losing streak, the team has been outscored 46-25.
Outside the immediate, there are continued issues with consistency from stars like Mookie Betts (.233 with 13 home runs) and Kyle Tucker (.244 with 10 home runs).
Pitching
The Dodgers, despite injuries, have been a top 10 team in ERA (3.75), WHIP (1.16) and BAA (.219). In August, the wheels have come off. L.A. has given up 36 earned runs through August, the second most across MLB. Teams are also batting .265 against them, good for No. 21 during that stretch.
Previously steadfast arms like Justin Wrobleski and Lauer have particularly struggled, giving up 13 earned runs between them across their last two starts.
But hope remains as help is on the way.
Blake Snell is close to returning from an elbow injury and recently participated in a minor league rehab assignment for the organization’s Triple-A affiliate.
Tyler Glasnow is also close to a return, throwing two scoreless innings for the Dodgers’ Class-A affiliate on Tuesday, Aug. 4.
The Dodgers could use some help as the joy in Mudville is getting muddier by the day.