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Shohei Ohtani returned to the Dodgers lineup Thursday night and made his presence felt immediately with a two-run homer, but it wasn’t nearly enough. The pitching plan fell apart as the Red Sox battered Will Klein and Cole Irvin in a 9-4 Dodgers loss, per the LA Times staff.

The big story here is Ohtani looking healthy. He’d sat out two straight games with knee soreness — his first missed action since July 4 — and there was genuine concern about whether he might need an IL stint. Instead, he came back and did exactly what Ohtani does: launched a two-run shot that reminded everyone why he’s the most dangerous hitter in baseball. The knee clearly isn’t limiting his swing. Ohtani has been on an absolute tear this season, and the fact that he looked this sharp after a brief absence is the best possible outcome for a team that simply cannot afford to lose him for any extended stretch. We can exhale on that front, at least for now.

Klein, who has bounced between roles in the Dodgers’ bullpen this season, had a rough night. The right-hander got tagged hard by Boston’s lineup, and it was one of those outings that exposes the depth concerns this pitching staff has been dealing with. Klein has shown flashes of effectiveness in shorter bursts, but nights like this are exactly why the front office has been so aggressive exploring pitching upgrades ahead of the trade deadline. He’s a useful arm when things are going right, but he’s not someone you can rely on in high-leverage situations consistently — and the Red Sox made that painfully clear.

Irvin didn’t fare much better. Just called up after Brock Stewart hit the IL with shoulder soreness, Irvin was thrust into a role where the Dodgers needed length and stability, and he couldn’t provide either. The veteran lefty has been a serviceable depth piece throughout his career, the kind of pitcher who can eat innings and keep you in games when things break right. Thursday wasn’t one of those nights. Boston’s hitters sat on his pitches and did damage. It’s a tough spot for Irvin — he’s essentially auditioning for a roster spot with the deadline looming and reinforcements on the way — and this outing won’t help his case.

The loss itself isn’t the end of the world. It’s one game. But the way it unraveled on the pitching side tells you everything you need to know about where this team stands right now. We’ve got Blake Snell working his way back through one more rehab start, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Treinen facing hitters in their recovery timelines, and the front office actively exploring additions like Tarik Skubal and bullpen reinforcements. The cavalry is coming. But until those arms are actually in the big-league clubhouse throwing real pitches in real games, nights like Thursday are going to happen. The lineup did its part — Ohtani’s homer proved that — but you can’t win games giving up nine runs. I think this loss reinforces what Andrew Friedman already knows: the pitching depth as currently constructed isn’t enough for October, and the deadline moves need to address that aggressively. The good news is Ohtani is back and swinging well. The bad news is everything that happened on the mound after that.

Source(s): Staff (LA Times) | First reported: August 1, 2026 5:39 AM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers