MIAMI — The Dodgers and Marlins are more similar than one might think.
Sure, the payroll discrepancy between the defending World Series champs and the only MLB franchise to never capture a division title is a bone-chilling $406 million. And yes, the Dodgers draw more fans in an evening than the lowly Marlins do in a weekend. Los Angeles has the most wins in MLB since 2010; Miami has the fewest. Dodger Stadium has hosted 109 playoff games, loanDepot Park has hosted zero. One team is eying October, the other is eying 2028. The list, it goes on and on.
That gap was readily apparent this week in South Florida, with the Dodgers cruising to a series win over the overmatched Marlins. Shohei Ohtani’s loanDepot Park mastery continued with a four extra-base hit showing. On the surface, it was monster vs. minnow, an elephant squashing a ladybug, Goliath giving David’s even smaller cousin a wedgie. Miami stole the middle game after Los Angeles’ C-Team relievers were forced into high-leverage spots in order to give the premier pen arms a night off.
But beneath all those disparities, these polar opposites have something very important in common: Neither the Dodgers nor the Marlins are particularly concerned about winning regular season contests. Their priorities are elsewhere. More than any other clubs in MLB, the Dodgers and Marlins are focused on the bigger picture.
For the rebuilding Marlins, it’s all about development. Each night is a de facto minor league game. A chance to teach, learn and discover which 2025 Marlins will be on the next competitive Marlins team.
For the cruise-control, October-bound Dodgers it’s all about the long haul. Each night is a de facto spring training game. The main goals are playoff preparation and injury-avoidance; getting through the season in one piece. The Dodgers’ league-leading 25 wins are simply an inevitable byproduct of their ability to out-talent most teams they face.
That reality has defined, and will continue to define, L.A.’s regular season. Skipper Dave Roberts will continue to “redline” relievers on certain days in order to ensure they aren’t overworked. He’ll keep giving scuffling veterans like Max Muncy and Michael Conforto every opportunity to iron out the kinks against MLB arms. Nothing really matters until October. Until then, just enjoy the ride.
With that in mind, here are a handful of other Dodger takeaways.
Fallout from Teoscar Hernández’s injury
Since joining the Dodger machine in January of 2024, the big-smiling, big-swinging outfielder has been the club’s fourth best hitter behind Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Losing him to a groin strain will hurt the lineup, but, understandably, the Dodgers care way more about playing it safe. They want to make sure Hernández is healthy come October.
With Hernández joining the versatile Tommy Edman on the shelf, expect the hot-hitting Andy Pages to see the bulk of time in right field. Recent call-up, Korean rookie Hyeseong Kim, will rotate between center and second base. James Outman, who was recalled on Wednesday after Hernández went down, should also see action in CF. When Edman returns — he’s due back next week — he’ll take over in center with Outman the likeliest candidate to return to Triple-A.
Hyeseong Kim looks good
When the Dodgers signed Kim out of KBO last winter, they knew it might take time for him to get comfortable with stateside pitching. So it wasn’t a surprise when Kim started the year in Oklahoma City. But since getting the call on May 3 after Edman hit the IL, Kim has looked the part, going 5-for-12 against the Marlins. His defensive versatility — he’s already appeared at second base, shortstop and center field — and baserunning are two other notches in his favor.
Should Kim continue building upon his strong first impression, the 26-year-old could stick around longer than anticipated, moving to the bench when Edman gets back. It’s early, but so far, he looks the part. Watching Kim in Miami this week, I was struck by how physical he was; it’s elite NFL slot receiver style athleticism. He’s muscular and twitchy, which should help him hit for power despite his small stature.
Freddie Freeman is getting … better?
Freeman’s heroic performance last October overshadowed what was a statistically underwhelming regular season. To be fair, the time Freeman missed while handling his son’s illness complicated his year. But the full-season numbers were still below what we’ve come to expect from the future Hall of Famer. Given his age — Freeman turns 36 in September — there were some worries that the dreaded decline phase may be inbound.
That does not appear to be the case.
Freeman’s 1.148 OPS is currently second in MLB behind only Aaron Judge. He spanked a pair of long balls and tallied eight RBI against the Marlins, bringing his season line to a sensational .362/.435/.713. The peripheral numbers back up the excellence. Freeman’s 93.1 mph average exit velocity is a career high, up nearly four miles per hour compared to last season. He’s also barreling balls more often than ever. Considering his superb career, it might have been hard to believe that Freeman even had another gear, but he does, and it appears he found it.
An exhausted bullpen
Los Angeles’ rotation currently sits dead last in innings pitched. The cause? An interrelated cocktail of injuries, bullpen days and the conservative schedules of Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Because the Japanese tandem has only been pitching once a week, the Dodgers have had to rely on a carousel of spot starters to fill in the gaps.
Fewer rotation innings means more bullpen innings, a dynamic that is starting to catch up with Dodger relievers. The club’s loss on Tuesday was the result of two low-leverage types (Luis Garcia and JP Feyereisen) struggling in big spots. Their high-leverage appearances were a direct result of Roberts avoiding overuse to Kirby Yates and Evan Phillips. Even still, Phillips hit the IL on Wednesday in what Roberts framed as a precautionary measure.
Pitching depth nearly sunk the Dodgers last year and remains an area of concern this go-round. And yet, despite all the talent and dollars on the injured list, the Dodgers just keep winning. By now, that should be no surprise.
Read the full article here
