Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Eric Lauer is out for the season, and manager Dave Roberts broke down the decision for the team.
To make room for Josue De Paula on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers put Lauer on the 60-day injured list , ruling him out for the rest of the season.
Lauer has been battling elbow inflammation, which put him on the 15-day IL starting September 2nd.
Aug 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Eric Lauer (33) hugs with manager Dave Roberts (30) after being removed from the game during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The lefty has been doing a throwing program, but the team didn't feel confident he could build up to be a starter.
With their bullpen full, Lauer would not have a role unless he was a piggyback-type option, but that was not happening with his elbow issue.
"We just felt we couldn't build him up enough to be a starter. He's just in the middle of his throwing program, and then I think for us, he's close, but I think in his role we're pretty set in the bullpen and so what we would need is something with the starter, in that kind of realm," Roberts said of Lauer.
"With the time that we have on the calendar, we just didn't have enough time, but he's trending in the right way though."
Lauer joined the Dodgers after the Toronto Blue Jays designated him for assignment, putting him on waivers, and LA agreed to a minor trade with Toronto to avoid the claim process.
Jul 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Eric Lauer (33) watches a game from the dugout during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The Dodgers were seriously lacking starting pitching, with Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell both out of action, and the need for a six-man rotation.
Lauer took the ball as the back-end starter, and he delivered high-quality production in that role.
He finished with a 4.50 ERA, a 7-2 record, and a total of 72 innings.
While pitching wins aren't a wholly representative statistic, for such a low-cost addition, the fact that the Dodgers won so many games with Lauer on the mound speaks to his ability to keep the team competitive in most of them.
