Dodgers got blown out 13-5, Will Smith's got a stiff neck, and now there's a Tarik Skubal trade rumor floating around — three storylines, one Tuesday. This is the Dodgers Daily Podcast, and Kirk, I came in braced for a funeral and instead the Smith scans came back clean. Clean imaging, stiff neck, status TBD — and today's the day that TBD pointed to. We'll know by 6:40 tonight in Pittsburgh. Road favorites by a run and a half against the Pirates. After Sunday's mess, that's the reset game, and we're starting there. Then the part I actually want to chew on — Detroit, Skubal, and whether this team even needs another starter. Let's get into it. So riddle me this. All week the problem's been the bullpen, and the front office answer leaking out is... go get an ace starter? The piece says they match up 'perfectly' with the Tigers. But the same rundown admits they don't necessarily need a starter — so what are we talking about, a need or a flex? Right! And the reason cited is injuries. If the rotation hole is real enough to listen on Skubal, why hasn't River Ryan gotten the call from Triple-A already? Yep, that's the pressure point. The Skubal chatter is basically the front office admitting the rotation's still a question — even with a 42-24 record that doesn't scream crisis. And what does Skubal cost? The farm keeps stacking outfielders. You'd gut that to fix a problem you might not even have at the top of the rotation. Trade rumors in June are a sport unto themselves. I'll believe it when there's a name attached and a source that isn't 'they match up well.' Speaking of receipts — Sebastián Rivero, backup catcher, goes 5-for-5 with six RBIs. With Smith's neck barking, that's the depth actually showing up. That's the quiet reason nobody needs to panic about the catcher tonight. Go win the one in Pittsburgh and the whole rundown calms down. Beat a bad team, look like yourselves, and the Sunday hangover's a one-day thing. Mess it up and Pre-2020 me starts whispering. This one's from CBS Sports:
Backup catcher Sebastián Rivero went 5 for 5 with six RBIs to lead a 13-for-15 performance by the bottom four batters in the order, propelling the Los Angeles Angels past the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-5 on Sunday to avoid a season sweep.
Final from Sunday: Angels 13, Dodgers 5. And the man who did it was a backup catcher — Sebastián Rivero, 5 for 5 with six RBIs. A backup catcher hangs six on us? The bottom four in their order went 13-for-15. That was a straight-up mugging. And yet — the Dodgers took five of six in the Freeway Series and outscored the Angels 46-18. One ugly afternoon doesn't rewrite the week. Fine. And funniest stat on the page — Mike Trout went 0 for 13 in this thing. Their star did nothing and they still salvaged the finale on a Rivero special. Remember, last year the Angels went 6-0 against us in the season series — right before the Dodgers won their second straight title. So I'm not filing a Sunday blowout under crisis. See, that I'll take. Lose the series, win the trophy. I can live with that math. ClutchPoints, with Christopher Hennessy:
“‘It’s not serious but it’s preventing him from playing.' – Dave Roberts on Will Smith’s stiff neck. Smith got imaging on his neck, which didn’t reveal anything. His status for Tuesday is TBD,” Moreno reported.
Will Smith update from ClutchPoints — imaging on the neck revealed nothing, Roberts says it's not serious but it kept him out. Status for Tuesday was TBD. And, well, today is Tuesday. Scans came back clean. That's the line I needed to hear. Stiff neck, not a disc, not a season. So we get the answer in a few hours. First pitch in Pittsburgh tonight, and either Smith's behind the plate or he isn't. No more guessing required. And if he sits one more day against the Pirates? Fine by me. Bank the catcher for June, ride the depth tonight. Matt Levine, writing in Inside The Dodgers:
"Paying a premium price for a short-term contract goes against how they prefer to operate, but the Dodgers have built such a good farm system — and one that, heavy on controllable arms and dynamic outfielders, matches up perfectly with Detroit's needs — that it makes too much sense for them not to be involved in the discussions," Passan wrote.
Passan's got the Dodgers matching up 'perfectly' with Detroit on Skubal — and then right there in the same piece, the line that they don't necessarily need another starter. So which is it? He's a free agent after this year. You'd pay a blockbuster prospect price for half a season of a guy the front office plans to chase in free agency anyway. Hold on — Snell's elbow, Glasnow's back, the whole reason this is even a conversation is injuries, and the answer is go grab another starter? The leak I've been yelling about is still late innings. The arms hurting them late aren't in the rotation. If you've got Skubal money and Skubal prospects, I can think of a relief inning or two I'd spend it on first. Fair — but if you're River Ryan, this rumor's gotta sting. It gets a lot harder to sell the internal-options case once the front office starts calling Detroit. Right, why give the kid the ball when you can mortgage the farm for six starts and a coin flip in October. This one comes via Team Rankings. First pitch from Pittsburgh, 6:40 Eastern, Dodgers laying a run and a half. Clean reset spot after that 13-5 mess in the last one. Road favorites against the Pirates after a Smith scare that came back clean? Yeah, I'll take that exhale. Here's the wrinkle though — Team Rankings actually has Pittsburgh as the razor-thin favorite, 50.3 percent. One of the few nights all year the models don't hand LA the edge. After Sunday's blowout, this is the answer game. Either the hangover's real or it's already in the rearview by the seventh. If you like keeping up every day, check out California Governor's Race — daily 2026 race coverage on candidates, polling, debates, fundraising, and policy for voters who want more than horse-race takes. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.
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That’s it for Dodgers Daily Podcast today. This is a Lantern Podcast.