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The Dodgers went with Will Klein as an opener ahead of Eric Lauer in Monday night’s series opener against the Twins, per MLB.com staff. It’s an increasingly common pitching strategy around baseball, but this is a notable deployment for a Dodgers staff that has been shuffling pieces amid injuries and inconsistency in the rotation.

Klein, the hard-throwing right-hander, has carved out a role in the Dodgers’ bullpen with his explosive fastball and swing-and-miss stuff. He came up through the system as a reliever and has largely been used in middle and late-inning spots. Using him as an opener signals the club’s confidence in his ability to navigate the top of a lineup cold — get through the first time through the order, then hand it off. For Klein, it’s another example of the organization finding creative ways to maximize his arm in high-leverage situations beyond the traditional closer or setup role.

Lauer, the left-hander who came over from the Brewers, has had a bumpy tenure as a Dodger. He’s been solid in stretches but has also shown vulnerability early in games, which makes the opener strategy a logical fit. By letting Klein face the top of the Twins’ order first, the Dodgers essentially gave Lauer a softer landing — picking up the game in the second or third inning with a fresh count and potentially weaker hitters in the lineup cycle. It’s a smart way to protect Lauer while still getting length out of him.

This game also came on the same night Brock Stewart was activated off the injured list, giving the pitching staff a boost in terms of depth. Stewart’s return — paired with the Klein-Lauer tandem approach — shows a front office and coaching staff that’s actively managing workloads and matchups rather than just plugging guys into traditional roles and hoping for the best.

I like this kind of flexibility. The Dodgers have the arms to pull it off, and with the rotation still not at full strength, we’re going to see more creative usage patterns. Using Klein as an opener isn’t a desperation move — it’s a deliberate tactical choice that plays to both his strengths and Lauer’s. If Lauer can settle in and give us four or five solid innings after Klein handles the first trip through, that’s a perfectly viable formula for getting through the middle of the week. The Dodgers have built a pitching staff with versatility in mind, and nights like this are exactly when that depth pays off.

Source(s): Staff (MLB.com) | First reported: June 23, 2026 2:37 AM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers