The Los Angeles Dodgers do not need Tarik Skubal to improve their pitching staff before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. They might, however, need one more reliever they can trust when a postseason game reaches the sixth inning.
That became difficult to ignore on Sunday. Los Angeles carried a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth against the New York Mets, only to watch its bullpen turn a potential sweep into an 8-3 loss.
Jack Dreyer walked two batters before Evan Phillips surrendered a go-ahead three-run homer to Tyrone Taylor. One inning later, Will Klein allowed four runs, including Marcus Semien’s back-breaking three-run shot.
As Jack Harris of The California Post reported, the collapse wasted five innings of one-run baseball from Emmet Sheehan and exposed uncertainty beyond the Dodgers’ preferred late-inning options.
“We’ve got to start getting back to getting ahead,” manager Dave Roberts said, according to Harris. “For what we’re trying to do, it’s just got to be better.”
Dodgers’ Reinforcements Come With Questions
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 17: Tanner Scott #66 and Dalton Rushing #68 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after their team’s 2-1 win against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 17, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
The Dodgers entered Sunday ranked eighth in MLB with a 3.79 bullpen ERA, so one bad afternoon should not trigger panic. But championship bullpens are judged by trustworthy October options, not a respectable regular-season average assembled across five full months. The problem is the trend and the personnel behind it.
Evan Phillips has allowed four home runs in only seven appearances since returning from Tommy John surgery. Roberts said he plans to use him in lower-leverage situations while he works through the rust. Klein, meanwhile, has surrendered runs in four consecutive outings and owns a 6.00 ERA since June 4 after posting a 1.78 mark before that stretch.
Edgardo Henriquez has been the Dodgers’ steadiest right-hander, but his command has also wavered. Brock Stewart carries an extensive injury history, while Blake Treinen, Ben Casparius, and Brusdar Graterol remain unavailable.
Edwin Díaz is expected back this week, but counting on him alone would be reckless. The three-year, $69 million signing recorded a 10.50 ERA and 2.33 WHIP in seven appearances before elbow surgery, even if that ugly line came in a tiny sample.
Los Angeles already acquired Seth Halvorsen from the Colorado Rockies. He brings elite velocity, averaging 98.8 mph with his four-seam fastball this season, but he also walked 15 batters in 19 innings and is rehabbing from shoulder inflammation. He is another upside play, not a proven October answer.
Dodgers Should Target Certainty, Not Another Project
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 17: Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers calls to the bullpen during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 17, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
The Dodgers do not need to empty their farm system for a famous closer. They need an established right-handed reliever who throws strikes, misses bats, and can protect a lead before Díaz enters.
October exposes the weakest link in every bullpen. Sunday showed that the Dodgers currently have too many candidates for that distinction. Andrew Friedman should treat the meltdown as a warning and buy another dependable bridge arm before it becomes a postseason-ending flaw.
Dodgers’ Ugly Collapse Raises a New Trade Deadline Question