Dodgers send starting pitcher with 3.76 ERA to bullpen

The Los Angeles Dodgers are welcoming back Tyler Glasnow to their starting rotation against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. The right-hander has been on the injured list since May 8 because of low back spasms.

When Glasnow returns, Eric Lauer will have a new role.

Lauer, who is 7-1 with a 3.76 ERA since joining the Dodgers in a May trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, will shift to the bullpen.

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While it’s perhaps surprising that a pitcher with so much success would lose his place in a team’s starting rotation, it’s nothing new for the Dodgers — or Lauer or Glasnow.

In 2025, Glasnow returned from an injury at midseason and helped stabilized the Dodgers’ rotation as they marched toward their second consecutive World Series championship.

Last year’s championship came at the expense of the Toronto Blue Jays, for whom Lauer became a key member of their postseason bullpen after starting in the regular season.

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The Dodgers took an all-hands-on-deck approach to fortifying their bullpen last year. Clayton Kershaw and Roki Sasaki were relievers in October despite Sasaki signing in Los Angeles specifically to pitch out of their rotation, and Kershaw being a future Hall of Famer with a 3.36 ERA in the regular season.

In addition to Glasnow, the Dodgers are expected to re-insert Shohei Ohtani into their starting rotation. The two-way star has been limited to DH duties ever since knee and biceps injuries sidelined him from pitching in July.

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Ohtani had a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts before the injuries. After facing live hitters on Saturday at Dodger Stadium, he might do so once again before he pitches in a game that counts.

Having Lauer in the bullpen will give manager Dave Roberts more flexibility than most relievers. The left-hander can take down multiple innings in relief of Glasnow or Ohtani as they work their way back from the injuries.

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