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The Dodgers have a specific plan for Kris Bubic, and it’s not in the rotation. Brandon Gomes revealed that Bubic, acquired from the Kansas City Royals ahead of the trade deadline, is expected to fill a role out of the bullpen once he’s healthy, per DodgerBlue.com. Bubic is currently on the 60-day injured list with left elbow and left shoulder soreness, so this is still a ways off — but the organizational vision for him is now clear.

Bubic earned an All-Star nod last season with the Royals, putting together one of the better stretches of his career as a starter in Kansas City’s rotation. The left-hander was a key part of the Royals’ pitching staff during their competitive run, and at his best he’s a soft-contact machine who uses a deep mix to keep hitters off-balance. But 2026 has been a different story. Bubic has struggled with both effectiveness and health, and the elbow and shoulder issues landed him on the 60-day IL. That combination — diminished results and durability concerns — is likely a big part of why the Dodgers see him as a reliever going forward rather than stretching him out as a starter.

The bullpen conversion actually makes a lot of sense for Bubic’s profile. His stuff has always played up in shorter bursts, and moving to relief could help him attack hitters more aggressively without worrying about pacing himself through five or six innings. Left-handed relievers who can get both lefties and righties out are always valuable, especially in October. If Bubic can get healthy and recapture even a fraction of his All-Star form in a reduced role, the Dodgers could have a useful arm for the stretch run.

This also tells us something about how the front office views the roster construction. With Tarik Skubal now anchoring the rotation, and Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell both working their way back through rehab assignments, the Dodgers don’t need another starting option as badly as they need bullpen depth. Bubic slots into that need perfectly — assuming the elbow and shoulder cooperate. The 60-day IL timeline means we’re probably looking at September at the earliest before he’s available, which lines up with roster expansion and the playoff push.

I like this as a low-cost, high-upside play. The Dodgers gave up Jhoan Duran to get Bubic, and if he can give them quality innings out of the pen down the stretch, that’s a win. The risk is minimal — he’s already on the IL, so expectations are calibrated accordingly. But the ceiling of a healthy, motivated former All-Star pitching in leverage situations for a contender? That’s worth betting on. We’ll see how the rehab progresses, but the plan is in place.

Source(s): Staff (DodgerBlue.com) | First reported: August 5, 2026 5:16 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers