Ohtani's workload is a puzzle, Snell is almost back, and somehow the Dodgers still lost to the Marlins. Welcome to Dodgers Daily Fancast — we've got rotation drama, trade report cards, and I have feelings about all of it. We'll break down what Snell's return actually means for how this staff gets constructed, plus four April trades under the microscope. And we lost to the Marlins, so buckle up — I'm already in a mood. First up, this comes from Dodgersway:
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was restricted to only pitching duties in Tuesday night's loss to the Miami Marlins. It was the second time this season that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removed Ohtani from the batting lineup on a day that he took the mound.
Ohtani goes six innings, one earned run, nine strikeouts against the Marlins — and the Dodgers still lose 2-1. Dodgersway flagged this one, and the real story is the ongoing balancing act: Dave Roberts sat Ohtani out of the lineup again on a pitching day. A 0.60 ERA and we lose to the Marlins. THE MARLINS. I don't even know what to say. The front office is clearly being deliberate here — this is the first full two-way season since 2023, and they're not going to let Ohtani run himself into the ground in May. That's not panic, that's asset management. I get the caution, I do, but his bat was literally the difference in a one-run game. You're telling me you'd rather protect his legs against Miami than have a shot at winning? Okay, now from The New York Times:
As Blake Snell nears a return to the Los Angeles Dodgers, he understands the importance of a calculated workload, ample rest and effective recovery. It’s a lesson he learned last season, and one he continues to lean on as he works his way back to the Dodgers’ rotation.
Blake Snell targeting a mid-May return, per the Times — no structural damage on the MRI, but the shoulder soreness that ate four months of his 2025 is the same thing that kept him off the Opening Day roster. The Dodgers are calling the timeline 'fluid,' which is front-office for 'we have no idea.' Fluid timeline. Classic. Meanwhile Roki Sasaki is out there with a 6.35 ERA and they're just gonna keep running him out there? I love the optimism but at some point the rotation math has to actually math. Sasaki's struggles are real, but the answer isn't panic — it's exactly what Snell coming back provides. A healthy Snell behind Yamamoto changes everything. The question is whether 'mid-May' actually means mid-May. This is the part where I'd normally say 'we've been here before' — and we have, literally last year. I want to believe, Cassidy. I just need him to actually throw a pitch in a major league game first. Katherine Wacker had this on Dalton Rushing:
If the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to make it to October, everyone will have to fill their role. Thirty or so games in, most are doing their job thus far. One notable example of someone coming into his own in 2026 is Dalton Rushing.
Katherine Wacker over at Sports. Honestly. has a nice piece on Dalton Rushing — and it's worth your time. Guy was a top prospect, had a rough debut, got hurt, almost got traded away, and the Dodgers just kept him. And now he's actually producing! This is exactly the kind of depth piece that matters in May — because by September you need guys like Rushing to not be a liability behind the plate. The Austin Barnes era ending was always going to create a vacancy. Credit to the front office for not just flipping Rushing at the deadline when other teams came calling. Pre-2020 Dodgers? They absolutely trade him and we spend the next five years watching him go all-star somewhere else. I've seen that movie. Glad we didn't make it again. Over at SI, they put it this way:
The Los Angeles Dodgers may have the best roster in Major League Baseball, but that doesn't mean they aren't always looking to improve. In April, the Dodgers made four trades, acquiring players who were previously designated for assignment or overlooked in an effort to help them revitalize their career in LA.
SI ran a piece looking at the four trades the Dodgers made in April — all DFA pickups and overlooked arms — and how they're actually panning out a month in. Four trades in one month. This front office never sleeps, and I love it. Other teams are out here doing nothing and the Dodgers are just quietly reloading. The highlight so far is Jake Eder — lefty they snagged from Washington after the Nats cut him loose. He's given up one run in three big league innings, and got the win Monday against Miami after Tucker walked it off. A guy the Nationals threw in the trash is now winning games in a Dodger uniform. That's not luck, that's a system that actually develops pitchers. And one more from SI:
Graterol is expected to return at some point this season, but there doesn't seem to be an exact timeline. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently provided an update on the injury recovery of the right-hander. "From what I understand, his last couple pens, he has been in the upper 90s so that's good.
Graterol update from Dave Roberts: upper 90s velocity in his recent bullpen sessions, which is encouraging — but Roberts himself admits he has no idea when a rehab assignment actually starts. Upper 90s sounds great until you remember the guy hasn't pitched in a real game in over a year. 'I'm not sure of that' is not the update I needed from Doc heading into May. To be fair, Roberts also said he's comfortable with a handful of closers. The bullpen patched it together for a championship last year — I'm not sounding the alarm yet. Patched it together! Cassidy, 'patched it together' is how you describe a leaky faucet, not a World Series bullpen. We got lucky and we need Graterol back before October, full stop. If anything in today’s rundown made you want the full read, we’ve got links to every story in the show notes. Tap through there and catch up at your own pace.
That’s Dodgers Daily Fancast for today. This is a Lantern Podcast.