Eric Lauer and Dave Roberts may finally be giving each other exactly what the former Blue Jays lefty wanted.
Roberts said Lauer could make his first Dodgers start next Tuesday against the Rockies in Los Angeles, while also remaining available out of the bullpen before then.
That update matters because it shifts Lauer from simple depth add to real rotation option almost as soon as he arrived.
It also says plenty about the Dodgers' pitching picture. Los Angeles traded for Lauer on May 17 after injuries thinned the staff, then activated him on May 19.
The Dodgers' official probable pitchers page still lists the club as TBD for Monday, May 25 against Colorado, which leaves the next turn open enough for Lauer to slide into the series shortly after.
For Lauer, this is the part that jumps off the page. With Toronto, he made it clear he hated pitching behind an opener, saying in April that the role threw off his routine and rhythm.
That quote has followed him ever since. Now it looks like Los Angeles may be handing him the cleaner starter lane he had been pushing for.
He is not guaranteed that job for the long haul yet. Roberts also said Lauer could be used from the bullpen tomorrow, which tells you the Dodgers are still trying to balance immediate need with next week's plan.
Still, the direction is obvious. Lauer joined the Dodgers because they needed rotation help, not because they were hunting for another one-inning arm.
That need has real context. MLB.com noted Los Angeles is working through rotation injuries, and Lauer arrived as part of the club's effort to give life to a thinned-out starting group.
The opponent helps, too. A possible first Dodgers start against Colorado at Dodger Stadium is about as manageable a landing spot as a pitcher could ask for.
Lauer still has to prove he can hold onto it after a rough 2026 opening in Toronto. But this is the clearest sign yet that the Dodgers see him as more than a patch.
And if he does take the ball next Tuesday, Eric Lauer will be getting the one thing he never stopped wanting: a real shot to work as a full-time starter again.
Will Eric Lauer stick in the Dodgers rotation once he gets this chance?
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