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The Dodgers aren’t rushing to define postseason pitching roles just yet, per staff reporting at DodgerBlue. Despite now having a rotation loaded with front-line arms following the acquisition of Tarik Skubal from the Tigers at the trade deadline, the front office and coaching staff want to let things play out over the final months of the regular season before locking anyone into October assignments. That means no pitcher has been told whether he’s starting, relieving, or riding the bench in the postseason — and that’s by design.

Skubal’s arrival is the catalyst for these conversations eventually happening. The two-time American League Cy Young Award winner immediately slots in as one of the best arms in baseball, and his track record speaks for itself. He’s been dominant in Detroit for years, and acquiring him cost the Dodgers a trio of prospects — a price the organization clearly felt was justified for a pitcher of his caliber. In a Dodgers uniform, Skubal gives the rotation a true ace-level presence that can anchor a postseason series, and there’s no question he’ll be a central figure when October rolls around.

The bigger puzzle is what happens around him. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are both working their way back from injuries, with both recently making rehab starts. If healthy, those two are postseason-caliber starters in their own right. Snell won the NL Cy Young in 2023 with the Padres and was a key part of the Dodgers’ pitching plans coming into this season. Glasnow, when right, features one of the most electric fastball-curveball combinations in the game and has been dominant in stretches since arriving in Los Angeles. The question is whether both can get fully healthy and sharp enough to warrant rotation spots — or whether one (or both) might be more valuable in a bullpen role where they can deliver high-leverage innings in shorter bursts.

There’s also the matter of the pitchers who have been holding things together during the injury absences. Starters who have logged innings and kept the team competitive during the rough patches deserve consideration, and the Dodgers clearly want to evaluate everyone on a full body of work rather than making premature declarations that could create unnecessary friction in the clubhouse.

I think the Dodgers are handling this the right way. Announcing postseason roles in early August — especially with two major arms still on the mend — would be premature and potentially counterproductive. Let Snell and Glasnow get healthy, let Skubal settle in, and let the performances over the next two months sort out the hierarchy. The depth is a genuine luxury, and it’s the kind of problem every other team in baseball would love to have. When October comes, this staff has the talent to match up with anyone. The key is making sure everyone is healthy and in the right mindset when it counts.

Source(s): Staff (DodgerBlue) | First reported: August 7, 2026 2:27 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers