What we already know about the Dodgers: Strange injuries, comebacks, and a ton of winning

As another MLB season unfolds, the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to be one of the most intriguing storylines in professional sports. They’re a team that boasts an embarrassment of riches, a seemingly infinite payroll, and a cast of players that would make any manager envious. But while the Dodgers’ on-field dominance might be expected by now, their journey remains anything but ordinary. Between bizarre injuries, improbable comebacks, and their insatiable appetite for winning, the 2025 Dodgers are proving—yet again—that they’re must-watch baseball.

A Team Built for Championships

Let’s start with the obvious. The Dodgers don’t just win; they dominate. Since Andrew Friedman took over baseball operations in 2014, Los Angeles has redefined what it means to be consistent in the modern MLB landscape. A World Series title in 2020 broke the championship drought, but the team hasn’t slowed down since. They’ve reached the postseason every year since 2013 and have consistently been one of the winningest teams in the league.

In 2025, the trend has continued. With one of the deepest rosters in baseball and a Hall of Fame-caliber manager in Dave Roberts, the Dodgers look primed for another deep postseason run. But as is often the case in baseball, the road hasn’t been smooth—even for a team this stacked.

The Injury Bug: Weird, Wacky, and Worrisome

You can’t talk about this season’s Dodgers without addressing the rash of strange injuries that have hit the roster. While every team deals with injuries, Los Angeles seems to attract the weird ones. Take for instance, Gavin Lux’s early-season setback. After missing all of 2023 with a torn ACL, Lux looked ready to reclaim his role in the infield. Then, out of nowhere, he tweaked his hamstring… slipping while trying to avoid a rogue cat in the team’s spring training complex. Yes, a cat.

That’s just the beginning.

Superstar Mookie Betts missed a handful of games in April due to a freak fishing accident during a team bonding trip. It wasn’t serious, but it was enough to make headlines and spark concern among fans. Meanwhile, pitcher Bobby Miller dealt with shoulder inflammation after reportedly sleeping in a hotel bed that was “too soft” while on a road trip in Milwaukee.

It’s the kind of strange, unlucky voodoo that could derail an ordinary team. But these are the Dodgers. They have reinforcements.

Depth Like No Other

One of the reasons the Dodgers can survive the chaos of injuries is because of their ridiculous depth. Few franchises can call up a player from Triple-A and not miss a beat. Los Angeles does it regularly.

James Outman, for example, wasn’t expected to be a key contributor this year. But due to injuries in the outfield, he’s emerged again as a spark plug with power and speed. On the pitching side, names like Gavin Stone and Landon Knack have stepped up in key moments, filling rotation gaps while seasoned arms heal.

The Dodgers don’t rebuild—they reload. And they’ve built a system that prepares players not just to fill a role, but to thrive in it.

Comeback Kings

Beyond the stats and the headlines, perhaps the most endearing part of this year’s Dodgers has been their resilience. Time and again, they’ve refused to go down without a fight.

In one of the wildest games of the season, the Dodgers found themselves down 7-1 to the Padres heading into the seventh inning. Most teams would have folded. But not L.A. Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani—yes, Ohtani—delivered clutch hits that tied the game in the ninth. Max Muncy finished it off with a walk-off homer in the 11th. The stadium erupted. It was Dodger baseball at its finest: drama, star power, and an unrelenting will to win.

The 2025 Dodgers lead the league in comeback victories, a testament to their clubhouse culture and veteran leadership. From Freddie Freeman’s steady presence to the never-rattled demeanor of Will Smith behind the plate, this team has a heartbeat that doesn’t panic.

The Shohei Effect

Of course, we can’t talk about the 2025 Dodgers without discussing the Shohei Ohtani factor. After signing a jaw-dropping $700 million contract (with deferred money gymnastics) in the offseason, Ohtani was expected to transform an already elite team into a juggernaut.

So far, he’s done exactly that—despite not pitching in 2025 while recovering from elbow surgery. His bat, however, has more than made up for it. Ohtani is batting north of .320, slugging at an elite rate, and hitting clutch home runs that have already made him a fan favorite in Dodger blue.

Even more than his production, Ohtani’s presence has injected a new energy into the team and fanbase. Every at-bat is an event. Every moment feels bigger. It’s not every day you land a two-way unicorn, even if only one part of the unicorn is currently healthy.

The Pitching Puzzle

While the offense has carried the load, the pitching staff has been a more complicated story. Clayton Kershaw is recovering from offseason surgery and isn’t expected back until the summer. Walker Buehler is also on a cautious timeline after his own injury woes. That’s left the team relying heavily on the younger arms—like Miller, Stone, and Ryan Pepiot (before his trade)—along with the steady veteran presence of Tyler Glasnow.

Glasnow, acquired in the offseason from Tampa Bay, has been brilliant when healthy. He’s delivered ace-level performances and shown why the Dodgers were willing to gamble on his upside. Still, durability remains a concern.

With the bullpen, it’s been a mixed bag. Evan Phillips has continued to shine as a closer, but roles have been fluid otherwise. The Dodgers’ front office is expected to be aggressive at the trade deadline if the bullpen doesn’t stabilize.

Roberts’ Steady Hand

In all this chaos, Dave Roberts remains the constant. The longtime manager has taken his share of criticism over the years, but there’s no denying the results. He knows how to manage egos, adjust on the fly, and keep the team even-keeled through the highs and lows of a 162-game marathon.

Roberts’ ability to trust his players and get the most out of each guy has been key to the Dodgers’ culture. Whether it’s giving rookies real opportunities or managing the playing time of aging stars, he has a pulse on the room that few managers possess.

The Pressure to Win

With all their success, the Dodgers still operate under an immense weight of expectation. One championship in this golden era—shortened 2020 season or not—doesn’t feel like enough for a franchise that’s spent this much, developed this well, and come this close so many times.

That pressure only increases with the addition of Ohtani. Anything short of a World Series appearance will be deemed a failure by many. The front office knows this. The players feel it. But in typical Dodger fashion, they’ve embraced the target on their back.

They play loose. They play hard. And most importantly—they win.

Looking ahead, the Dodgers will need to stay healthy and probably bolster the bullpen before October. They’ll also eventually re-integrate Kershaw and possibly get Ohtani back on the mound in 2026. But the 2025 season is already shaping up to be one to remember.

They’re flawed. They’re injured. They’re weird. But they’re also, undeniably, a powerhouse.

So what do we already know about the Dodgers?

They’ll deal with freak injuries. They’ll come back from the brink. And they’ll probably win a whole lot of games doing it.