What Dodgers rotation decision after Eric Lauer trade means for top prospect River Ryan

SAN DIEGO –– So much for all that supposed pitching depth the Dodgers thought they would have when the season began.Over the last couple weeks, the team suffered its first substantial losses in the starting rotation, after Tyler Glasnow went on the injured list with back spasms and Blake Snell developed loose bodies in his elbow that required surgical intervention.Just like that, the club needed starting pitching reinforcements less than two months into the year.Where they once hoped they would have internal options to call upon in such a roster crunch, however, the Dodgers were instead forced to look outside the organization to find some short-term help.Over the weekend, the team acquired veteran left-hander Eric Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays, after he was designated for assignment with a 6.69 ERA in his first eight outings this season.On Monday, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said Lauer would slot into the club’s six-man rotation once he is added to the active roster.As likely only a temporary fill-in, the 30-year-old Lauer isn’t the worst solution.Just last year, he had a 3.18 ERA in 28 outings (15 starts) for the Blue Jays during their run to the World Series.

This year, his numbers have been bloated by an unusually (and, the Dodgers are betting, unsustainably) high rate of home runs hit against him.“He’s shown signs of being effective, but not quite to the level of last year,” Gomes said.“We know the makeup is really good, and we’re looking forward to getting our hands on him and helping him be as successful as he’s been in the past.”Still, the fact that the Dodgers had to dig through the DFA scrap heap to address their first pitching shortage of the season is a reminder that organizational pitching depth is never as tangible as it might appear.Before acquiring Lauer, the club had only one real internal candidate to consider in former top prospect River Ryan.

While Lauer has barely averaged 90 mph with his fastball this season ...