You don’t always get what you pay for when it comes to professional sports. 
The international brand known as the Los Angeles Dodgers has done well with its player investments thanks to a slew of superstars that keep jersey and ticket inventory low and profits high.
It’s a completely different story when it comes to measuring on-field success: The Dodgers have suffered two consecutive first-round losses and have a solitary World Series victory that came during the unusual 60-game season of 2020.
For a club with one of the highest payrolls in Major League Baseball and a roster of marquee names, it seems strange to rely upon Clayton Kershaw in his 17th season to once again fortify a starting rotation that has dealt with a lot of damage in 2024.
A whopping 10 pitchers, including six starters, are currently on the injured list for the Dodgers. Five of those starting pitchers are on the 60-day IL.
It’s one of the reasons why L.A. is below .600 this season at 76-52 (.594) and holding onto one of the smallest leads in any division right now. Their 4.0-game lead over the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West feels even smaller due to the strong surge both clubs have enjoyed in the second half.
The Dodgers are playing better as a whole since getting back Mookie Betts from a broken left hand; he missed 45 games from June to August. Since he returned on Aug. 12 and moved back to his natural position in right field, Los Angeles has gone 7-3.
Momentum during this stretch has also come in the form of a 36-year-old southpaw. Kershaw helped secure a winning road trip for his team thanks to 11.2 innings of work and one run allowed against the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals. The victories were more critical upon second glance.
Eight clubs have either matched or bested L.A.’s win total on the road this season. At 35-30 away from Dodger Stadium, Dave Roberts’ squad hasn’t been so close to .500 since 2016 when they finished 38-43 (.469) in his first year on the job.
