If you haven’t looked at the Los Angeles Dodgers roster lately, you might want to sit down. It is honestly absurd. We aren't just talking about a "good" pitching staff anymore. We are talking about what might be the most expensive, talented, and—if we're being real—fragile collection of arms ever assembled in one place.
So, who is pitching for the Dodgers right now?
As we hit the middle of January 2026, the rotation looks like a video game fever dream. You’ve got Shohei Ohtani returning to the mound full-time, Yoshinobu Yamamoto coming off a World Series MVP performance, and the "Monster of the Reiwa Era," Roki Sasaki, entering his second year in the bigs. Oh, and they just added Blake Snell and Edwin Díaz.
It’s almost unfair. But in typical Dodger fashion, it's also a giant puzzle of "if" and "when."
The Big Three (Or Four, or Five...)
The headline for the 2026 season is the return of the two-way unicorn. Shohei Ohtani is finally back to pitching every sixth day. After spending 2024 and 2025 focusing largely on destroying baseballs with his bat, he’s healthy and ready to anchor the staff.
The Dodgers are leaning hard into a six-man rotation. It makes sense. They have to protect these guys.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the undisputed anchor. He was the only guy who stayed consistently healthy through the 2025 run. He’s the foundation. Then you have Blake Snell, who joined the squad to give them a left-handed powerhouse, and Tyler Glasnow, who is still one of the nastiest pitchers on the planet when his elbow isn't barking.
Then there’s Roki Sasaki. The hype around this kid is still through the roof. His 2025 debut showed flashes of that 102-mph heat that made him a legend in Japan. Entering 2026, the Dodgers expect him to take a massive leap forward.
The Projected 2026 Starting Rotation
- Shohei Ohtani: The two-way phenom returns to the mound.
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto: The reigning World Series MVP.
- Blake Snell: The veteran lefty presence.
- Tyler Glasnow: Elite stuff, constantly managing durability.
- Roki Sasaki: The young flamethrower from Japan.
- Emmet Sheehan / Gavin Stone: Fighting for that final spot or serving as high-end depth.
The Injury Comeback Kids
The Dodgers spent a lot of 2025 with their fingers crossed. Gavin Stone and River Ryan are both working their way back from significant shoulder and elbow surgeries.
Honestly, on any other team, these guys are top-of-the-rotation starters. In LA? They might start the year in Triple-A Oklahoma City just because there isn't room in the inn. River Ryan, in particular, looked like a future ace before his Tommy John surgery in late 2024. He’s expected to be full-go for Spring Training 2026.
Emmet Sheehan is another name people forget. He’s back from his own Tommy John procedure. Having Sheehan as your "sixth or seventh" option is a luxury that 29 other GMs would kill for.
Who is pitching for the Dodgers out of the bullpen?
The 2025 bullpen was... shaky. Let’s be kind. It was a rollercoaster.
Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen had their moments, but the consistency wasn't there. To fix it, Andrew Friedman went out and got Edwin Díaz. Seeing "Sugar" in Dodger Blue is going to be weird for Mets fans, but he’s here to lock down the ninth.
The bridge to Díaz is mostly left-handed right now. Alex Vesia and Anthony Banda are back. Tanner Scott is still in the mix, though he’s looking to bounce back after a rough patch last year.
The interesting name to watch is Edgardo Henriquez. He’s got triple-digit velocity and started to really figure out his command at the end of last season. He’s basically a human blowtorch. If he's on, he’s unhittable.
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Key Relief Arms for 2026
- Edwin Díaz: The new closer.
- Brusdar Graterol: Returning from a shoulder injury that cost him almost all of 2025.
- Blake Treinen: The veteran sinker-baller.
- Alex Vesia: High-leverage lefty.
- Jack Dreyer: A breakout candidate who proved himself last year.
What about Clayton Kershaw?
It’s the end of an era. Sorta.
Clayton Kershaw officially retired from Major League Baseball at the end of the 2025 season. He’s the greatest Dodger pitcher of this generation. Period.
But, because he can't stay away from the game, he actually signed up to pitch for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He won't be in the Dodgers' opening-day rotation, but he’ll be wearing the red, white, and blue in March. It’s a cool "one last ride" moment for a guy who never got to play in the WBC because of injuries or contract timing.
The Six-Man Rotation Strategy
The Dodgers are basically pioneers of the "don't break the pitchers" movement. By using a six-man rotation, they give Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki the extra rest they were used to in Japan.
It’s a smart play.
The downside? It burns an extra roster spot. You have one fewer bat on the bench or one fewer arm in the bullpen. But when your rotation is this top-heavy with talent, you take that trade-off every single time.
The Bottom Line
If you're wondering who is pitching for the Dodgers, the answer is: everyone you’d hate to face in a dark alley (or a well-lit stadium).
The depth is staggering. Even if Glasnow or Snell misses a month—which, let's face it, usually happens—they have guys like Landon Knack or Justin Wrobleski ready to step in. It’s a "rich get richer" situation.
Watch the velocity charts early in Spring Training. Specifically, keep an eye on Brusdar Graterol’s sinker and Roki Sasaki’s splitter. If those two are hitting their metrics by March, the rest of the National League is in serious trouble.
For fans looking to stay ahead of the curve:
- Track the 40-man roster moves in late February, as guys like River Ryan and Gavin Stone fight for active spots.
- Monitor Shohei Ohtani’s bullpen sessions. His velocity will be the biggest story of the spring.
- Check the World Baseball Classic schedule if you want to see Kershaw pitch one last time before he heads to the Hall of Fame.
The 2026 Dodgers aren't just trying to win; they're trying to prove that you can build a historic rotation through a mix of massive contracts, international scouting, and high-risk injury gambles. So far, the gamble looks like it’s paying off.