The Dodgers’ September To-Do List Has Seven Essential Steps

The two-time reigning World Series champions showed some concerning cracks in their first losing August in 16 years.

Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker has been a massive disappointment after signing a record contract last offseason. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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The Dodgers just endured their first losing August in 16 years. They hit .241 in the month, making this their first losing August with a batting average that low in 42 years. If they’re not careful, they may be playing themselves into a wild card series against the Padres, whose bullpen makes them especially dangerous in a short series and are decidedly not the 83-win Reds that Los Angeles easily dispatched in the first round last year. 

Yes, the Dodgers have looked as vulnerable as they have in years while playing losing baseball since the Fourth of July (23–24). That’s almost a third of a season. But their rotation and pedigree still make them the favorite to win the World Series. August did not change that.

But here’s what did change in August: the swoon created Los Angeles’s longest to-do list down the stretch in several years. The Dodgers have 25 games left. Here is what they need to address in those 25 games before October.

1. Get Shohei Ohtani healthy.

The Dodgers have put a pause on Ohtani’s return to pitching. There is still time to get him four starts before October, but the red flags from his abbreviated bullpen session suggest a wait-and-see approach.

What’s more important is to get Ohtani right so that he can again be a dominant hitter in a lineup that suddenly needs his power more than ever. Ohtani’s average exit velocity has dropped a second straight month to 91.7 mph, his lowest monthly level in four years. 

2. Figure out the closer position.

Edwin Diaz does not look like the answer until he fixes his mechanical issues (see my Breakdown of the Week below). Roki Sasaki has a blister issue. Tanner Scott is running away from his fastball more now that it has the highest average allowed in seven years (.253).

Dodgers catcher Will Smith is expected to return from the injured list this week after recovering from a neck injury that’s kept him out since early June. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

3. Get Will Smith back to lengthen the lineup.

The back half of the Dodgers’ lineup just doesn’t have enough thump. Smith is a premier defender, game caller and clutch hitter.

4. Salvage something from Kyle Tucker.

Hoo-boy. Read below for my analysis of just how far Tucker has fallen. (Editor’s note: The rest of Verducci’s View will be published throughout the week. Subscribe to Verducci’s View to get the whole newsletter delivered to your inbox every Monday.)

5. Give Mookie Betts some rest.

Betts deserves a ton of credit by making himself into a premier defender. He has worked so hard on his footwork and range that he has played a very solid shortstop without an elite arm. And he is one of the game’s great playmakers—if in the hottest moments there is a relay to be made, a double play to be turned or a runner driven in, Betts is your guy.

But I’ve written often about how middle infielders age quickly. Not a single qualified shortstop over age 30 has an OPS+ of 100 or more this season. Betts, 33, is part of that trend. A hitter with some of the fastest hands in the game is no longer catching up to velocity.

Betts vs. Pitches 95+ MPH

Year	Pct. Seen	BA	SLG
2020	14.1%	.343	.657
2021	15.0%	.274	.597
2022	19.4%	.272	.544
2023	18.2%	.400	.700
2024	20.1%	.351	.526
2025	23.0%	.331	.472
2026	23.1%*	.200+	.318+

*Career high, +Career low

Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages (center) was hit by a pitch on Aug. 21, fracturing his hand. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

6. Get Andy Pages back.

The Dodgers miss his defense and ability to hit non-fastballs in key spots. (He hits .333 against spin and off-speed with runners in scoring position, a huge skill in today’s game.) Los Angeles picked up Alek Thomas and sent him to two different hitting labs to get him untracked. It hasn’t worked out. Outside of a slightly higher leg kick, he still has a crossfire stride with drift that makes him vulnerable to spin (.146 this year)

7. Win the series against San Diego Sept. 22–24.

Why am I looking so far down the line? Because the Dodgers need a statement series. Consider that the Dodgers:

• Are 2–14 in their past 16 games against potential playoff teams (Braves, Brewers, D-Backs, Cubs, Red Sox).
• Are 33–36 against teams .500 and better, a .478 winning percentage. Of the past 50 world champions, only five played worse than that against teams .500 or better (2002 Angels, 2006 Cardinals, 2010 and 2014 Giants and 2021 Braves).
• Have just two series left against winning teams: at the Marlins and home against the Padres.

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