The Los Angeles Dodgers just pulled a move, flipping their starting rotation for the final two games of the homestand, and it’s all about October, plain and simple. Tarik Skubal is now pitching Tuesday on four days rest, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto set to follow him on Wednesday. This isn’t just a schedule tweak, folks. This is them telegraphing their postseason plan loud and clear.
Skubal and Yamamoto: The October One-Two Punch?
Manager Dave Roberts confirmed Monday that this shift is exactly what it looks like: Skubal for Game 1 and Yamamoto for Game 2 in a best-of-7 series. You know what that means for a Game 1 guy, right? He’s lined up for Game 5 on four days rest. That’s huge. Roberts said Mark Prior, their pitching coach, talked it out with both guys, so it sounds like everyone’s on board with this vision. Yamamoto has not started on fewer than five days rest in his three seasons with the team, which just shows how intentional this setup is. Remember his World Series heroics in relief last year on zero days rest? Yeah, the dude can handle pressure, but they’ve been careful with him as a starter.
Seeding, Setup, and Some Serious Decisions
The Dodgers are playing the final 18 games of their regular season schedule with an eye firmly on what’s next. They’re still chasing that No. 1 seed, sitting a game and a half behind the Milwaukee Brewers. They’ve got a two-game cushion on the Atlanta Braves for the No. 2 seed, but they don’t hold the tiebreaker with either team, so they’ve gotta win out. That No. 1 or No. 2 seed is huge for a bye straight into the National League Division Series, giving them five days off before an October 3 start. If they slide to the No. 3 seed? Wild Card round, baby, starting September 29. Roberts mentioned they’ll need to fill a few starts down the stretch, with Emmet Sheehan getting another shot this Sunday in Miami after a fantastic outing. Plus, Roki Sasaki is close to coming off the injured list, adding another arm to the mix when they need it.
Looking at the schedule, there are some aggressive options. They could get Skubal ready for a Wild Card Game 1 on September 29 by starting him next Monday, September 14, on five days rest, then twice on four days rest (September 19, 24). That sounds wild. Or, they could slot Sasaki in next Monday, keeping Skubal and Yamamoto pitching once a week three more times, giving them flexibility for either a Wild Card series or a tuneup before the October 3-4 Division Series start. The next two weeks have some serious choices to be made. Justin Wrobleski and Bobby Miller are also lurking as bulk options. This week is set, but the final two weeks? They can pretty much do whatever they want. It’s crunch time, and they’re setting the stage for an intense October run.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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