The Dodgers thought they were ready for anything. After all, what team spends more than $400 million on payroll and still walks into trade deadline week needing reinforcements? The answer: a team, trying to bulletproof a roster in a game that refuses to be tamed.

It all looked good on paper with Michael Conforto, Blake Snell, and Kirby Yates. Throw in some returning stars like Teoscar Hernández, Clayton Kershaw, and of course, Shohei Ohtani—the face of the team and a global magnet for the spotlight—and you have got a superteam, right? Well, almost. Because, as Joel Sherman of The New York Post said, “You can’t make a roster bulletproof in baseball,” and this team is beginning to feel that sting.

Time to begin with the largest attraction of them all—Shohei Ohtani. The star is back on the field, yes, however, not fully unleashed. The Dodgers have been slow-playing Ohtani’s return, carefully building up the star’s innings with a tandem setup. Ohtani has been scheduled to pitch four innings against the Reds in the upcoming start, and after that? Manager Dave Roberts says he will not need a follow-up bulk star. This is a good sign. However, there is a catch: with Shohei Ohtani ramping up also, the Dodgers’ pitching staff is already gassed.

The team’s bullpen has thrown almost 40 more innings than any other team in MLB. This is not just a number—it is a red flag. The bullpen ERA? Ranked 24th. The Dodgers’ overall ERA? 4.24, placing the team 23rd, and while some workload was by design—factoring in Shohei Ohtani’s careful return—the injuries have compounded what Sherman says “the withering effect.”

Translation: the Dodgers are loaded; however, it is also leaking. Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, the 2 stars, are expected to be vital bullpen boosters; however, they also have not delivered. Blake Treinen is back, sure, however, he is still a durability question mark, and the team is not just battling fatigue—they are juggling rotations.

The Dodgers have been trying to get to a true six-man rotation, specifically, with Snell nearing his return. This would finally enable the team to balance Shohei Ohtani’s availability without draining the bullpen. However, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Kershaw, and Ohtani already locked in, the Dodgers have a decision to make on that sixth spot. Until it is settled, every extra inning the bullpen throws chips away at October stability.

Behind closed doors, the management knows this. Andrew Friedman—the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations— hates feeling “hostage” to trade deadline pressure. This is why the team stacked up in the offseason. But, Friedman’s most meticulous planning also can not stop Baseball’s chaos. Injuries, slumps, and overworked stars do not care about the deal.

Now the team is staring down a crossroads: do the Dodgers double down and buy more at the deadline? Or, do they shock everyone and sell from their surplus? Word is, if the team can get Dustin May and Emmet Sheehan back to health, they could package one in a deal. While May’s 4.85 ERA could not scream trade bait, the league-wide desperation for pitching just could make it work.

Still, none of that transforms the central concern— Shohei Ohtani is ramping up, the rotation is shifting, and the bullpen needs help—quickly. With Thursday’s deadline coming quickly, it is clear the Dodgers’ superteam dream needs one last push.

However, as the Dodgers’ management ponders more pitching help, the present-day stars continue to shine where it counts.

Ohtani’s streak rolls on as Dodgers ride big double and Yamamoto gem past Reds

On a night when the management debates trade targets, Ohtani took care of business the only way the star knows—by delivering at the plate. Ohtani’s two-run rocket double in the fifth did not just break the game open—it extended the star’s hitting streak to nine straight games, at the period of which Ohtani is batting .306 with 13 RBIs. More than just steady, he has been sensational, and Monday night was another chapter in Ohtani’s continuous MVP-level story.

If this was not enough, Ohtani also reached a vital milestone. He scored his MLB-leading 100th run of the season in the seventh inning, cruising home on a Freddie Freeman single to make it 5–1. It was the kind of situation that subtly reminds all: this star is not just a two-way phenom—he is the pulse of the Dodgers’ lineup.

However, Yoshinobu Yamamoto quietly turned in an elite start yet. The righty went seven powerful innings, struck out nine, and retired 14 of the last 15 batters Yamamoto faced. As the Dodgers’ pitching depth is also being tested, Yamamoto’s outing proved the team still has frontline firepower already in the fold.

On the contrary, Reds rookie Chase Burns brought the heat. The star’s third straight 10-strikeout performance was electric; however, the Dodgers made Chase Burns pay when it mattered most. Miguel Rojas and Mookie Betts established the table, and Ohtani cleared it with a line-drive double off a 99.4 mph fastball.

With Shohei Ohtani red-hot at the plate and the Dodgers still grinding out wins despite bullpen concerns, the attention is now firmly on the management as the trade deadline looms. Joel Sherman’s “withering effect” warning could still haunt the team if reinforcements do not arrive in time. However, for now, Ohtani’s bat and Yamamoto’s power are keeping the team in the fight.

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