Kristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.
We’re another week closer to All-Star Weekend — the spiritual, if not mathematical midway point of the season — but our voters caused no change atop the Power Rankings, with the Winnipeg Jets holding down the No. 1 slot again. Of course, there were plenty of changes elsewhere.
Beyond the updated rankings, we’ve identified the best new addition for all 32 teams — be it a player, a coach, or … a draft pick? Read on for our picks for each club.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors send in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list here.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Jan. 12. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 1 Points percentage: 72.09% Next seven days: @ OTT (Jan. 20), @ BOS (Jan. 22), @ TOR (Jan. 24)
Gabriel Vilardi. Winnipeg acquired Vilardi as part of the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade with Los Angeles in June, and the Jets certainly scored a winner (something Vilardi himself has done plenty of this season). Vilardi puts up great numbers, is a net-front menace and adds potency to Winnipeg’s overall attack.
Previous ranking: 2 Points percentage: 71.11% Next seven days: vs. TOR (Jan. 20), vs. CHI (Jan. 22), vs. STL (Jan. 24)
Teddy Blueger. Vancouver has brought the best out of Blueger. The 29-year-old forward is on pace to smash his previous career highs (nine goals, 28 points) thanks to a fresh start in the Canucks’ dominant offensive scheme. Blueger is the ideal depth signing for a team looking to play long into this coming spring.
Previous ranking: 3 Points percentage: 71.59% Next seven days: vs. MTL (Jan. 20), vs. WPG (Jan. 22), vs. CAR (Jan. 24), @ OTT (Jan. 25)
James van Riemsdyk. Boston has gotten more than it could have bargained for out of van Riemsdyk. Brought in on an under-the-radar, one-year deal, the veteran winger is top five in scoring for the Bruins, can play anywhere in the lineup and remains, as ever, a verifiable net-front force on the power play. Overall, van Riemsdyk has been the ultimate depth player Boston needs to be at its best.
Previous ranking: 4 Points percentage: 66.30% Next seven days: @ PHI (Jan. 20), vs. WSH (Jan. 24)
Jonathan Drouin. Colorado essentially took a flyer on Drouin in free agency, and that one-year, $825,000 contract is aging nicely. The Avalanche’s winning culture, and a reunion with former junior hockey teammate Nathan MacKinnon, has helped Drouin settle into a solid season so far. MacKinnon recently stated his belief that Drouin has just scratched the surface of what he can provide for Colorado into the season’s second half.
Previous ranking: 5 Points percentage: 65.91% Next seven days: vs. MIN (Jan. 19), @ NSH (Jan. 22), vs. ARI (Jan. 24)
Evan Rodrigues. Florida is all sorts of excellent this season, and Rodrigues has played a surprisingly involved role in its success. The veteran signed a four-year deal in the offseason that has translated to top-line minutes alongside Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. There’s no doubt Rodrigues is benefitting from high-caliber linemates, but his stats are no fluke.
Previous ranking: 6 Points percentage: 65.91% Next seven days: @ LA (Jan. 20), @ ANA (Jan. 21), @ SJ (Jan. 23)
Peter Laviolette. New York believed it needed a new voice behind the bench to take another step forward. Laviolette got the nod — and, so far, the results. The Rangers have generally responded well to Laviolette’s structure (despite a rocky stretch or two), and the longtime head coach’s experience — in knowing when to tweak, or stand pat — has served New York well in a strong performance this season.
Previous ranking: 8 Points percentage: 66.28% Next seven days: @ NJ (Jan. 20), @ NYI (Jan. 21), @ DET (Jan. 23), vs. ANA (Jan. 25)
Sam Steel. Dallas was smart to sign Steel when Minnesota failed to give him a qualifying offer in June. That one-year, $850,000 contract for Steel has translated into a solid depth forward who can add some punch — sometimes literally — and scoring touch while providing the Stars with bottom-six versatility. All in all, it has been a good marriage thus far.
Previous ranking: 9 Points percentage: 61.63% Next seven days: vs. DET (Jan. 19), vs. MIN (Jan. 21), @ BOS (Jan. 24), vs. NJ (Jan. 25)
An eight-year extension for Sebastian Aho. Carolina wasn’t about to let its best player hit free agency this coming summer. So, GM Don Waddell took care of business last July and inked Aho to an eight-year, $78 million extension (the largest in franchise history), which already looks like tidy work by the Hurricanes. Aho currently leads the club in goals, assists and points and is exactly the type of dynamic skater to build a franchise around.
2024 third-round pick. Vegas has basically run it back with its Stanley Cup-winning roster. We’ll see how that strategy ultimately plays out for the Golden Knights (and if they’re busy at trade deadline because of it). For now, it’s an asset acquired via another trade — that of Reilly Smith to Pittsburgh in June — that has added the most to Vegas’ coffers by offering them something to deal.
Previous ranking: 12 Points percentage: 61.25% Next seven days: @ CGY (Jan. 20), vs. CBJ (Jan. 23), vs. CHI (Jan. 25)
Kris Knoblauch. Edmonton’s numbers speak for themselves: The Oilers were 3-9-1 when Jay Woodcraft was fired; they are 21-6-0 since Kris Knoblauch took over. That’s the league’s third-best record overall since Nov. 12, and no doubt Knoblauch has played a key part in righting Edmonton’s ship before it completely capsized.
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P.K. Subban has high praise for McDavid and Crosby
P.K. Subban talks to Pat McAfee about the impressive seasons Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby are having in the NHL.
Previous ranking: 7 Points percentage: 60.47% Next seven days: @ VAN (Jan. 20), @ SEA (Jan. 21), vs. WPG (Jan. 24)
Martin Jones. Toronto was eyeing organizational goaltending depth when signing veteran Jones to a one-year deal in August. What the Leafs got with their low-key move was a massive depth piece to carry them through a rough stretch of injury (to Joseph Woll) and poor play (by Ilya Samsonov). Jones gives Toronto a chance each night he’s in net, and that’s all it can ask of a third-string savior.
Previous ranking: 13 Points percentage: 61.36% Next seven days: vs. COL (Jan. 20), vs. OTT (Jan. 21), vs. TB (Jan. 23), @ DET (Jan. 25)
Ryan Poehling. Philadelphia wasn’t going for flash when signing Poehling to a one-year deal in the offseason. What the Flyers got was a forward they could count on, and Poehling has been that throughout the season. He’s a quiet contributor and a valuable depth piece, and most importantly, he loves being in Philadelphia. That’s an energy every team wants for its lineup.
Previous ranking: 11 Points percentage: 59.52% Next seven days: vs. NYR (Jan. 20), vs. SJ (Jan. 22), vs. BUF (Jan. 24)
Cam Talbot. Los Angeles picked right in tapping Talbot as its latest No. 1 netminder. The 36-year-old is having his best season in years, with consistently strong performances that set the Kings up for a terrific first half. Talbot himself earned an All-Star nod and remains among the league’s top-10 starters in most statistical categories.
Previous ranking: 20 Points percentage: 57.95% Next seven days: @ CAR (Jan. 19), vs. TB (Jan. 21), vs. DAL (Jan. 23), vs. PHI (Jan. 25)
Alex DeBrincat. Detroit had no doubt that DeBrincat would be a difference-maker when it traded for and signed him last summer. And DeBrincat has not disappointed in the least. He leads the Red Wings in points, is tied for the team lead in goals and helped convince Patrick Kane to join Detroit’s ranks, too. DeBrincat really can do it all for the Red Wings.
Previous ranking: 17 Points percentage: 57.14% Next seven days: @ VGK (Jan. 20), @ ARI (Jan. 22)
Alex Nedeljkovic. Pittsburgh made splashier offseason moves — we see you, Erik Karlsson — but the one-year, $1.5 million investment in Nedeljkovic was a sound one. He has produced strong numbers in the NHL and gives the Penguins depth at a precarious position. While Nedeljkovic might not be the No. 1 netminder in Pittsburgh, he’s the ultimate insurance policy.
Previous ranking: 15 Points percentage: 55.95% Next seven days: @ CBJ (Jan. 19), vs. DAL (Jan. 20), vs. VGK (Jan. 22), @ CAR (Jan. 25)
Simon Nemec. New Jersey has a burgeoning rookie sensation in Nemec, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft. The 19-year-old blueliner plays with intensity, finesse and no fear of throwing down with league veterans (see: Nemec vs. Brad Marchand). Nemec logs over 20 minutes per game, is smart with the puck and consistently defends well. What more could the Devils want?
Previous ranking: 16 Points percentage: 58.14% Next seven days: @ STL (Jan. 20), @ MIN (Jan. 23), @ COL (Jan. 24)
Spencer Carbery. Washington tapped rookie head coach Carbery to remake the club into a playoff contender. Right now, the Capitals are in that mix. Carbery has been patient tinkering with his new team and overcame bouts of adversity with poise to prove he can get the most out of what Washington has to offer on the ice.
Previous ranking: 18 Points percentage: 56.67% Next seven days: @ ARI (Jan. 20), vs. FLA (Jan. 22), @ MIN (Jan. 25)
Ryan O’Reilly. Nashville grabbing O’Reilly on a four-year, $18 million deal is looking like a bargain. The 32-year-old center is on pace to hit 30 goals — which would be a career high — and O’Reilly brings a certain physicality and attitude the Predators need to keep the competition at bay. Expected or not, Nashville found a true top-line performer in O’Reilly.
Previous ranking: 22 Points percentage: 56.67% Next seven days: @ BUF (Jan. 20), @ DET (Jan. 21), @ PHI (Jan. 23), vs. ARI (Jan. 25)
Jonas Johansson. Tampa Bay likely didn’t expect to lean on Johansson — signed in July on a two-year contract — to start the season. But when Andrei Vasilevskiy underwent surgery in September, it fell on Johansson to keep the Lightning afloat. And he did. Johansson was 8-4-5 with a .894 SV% in Vasilevskiy’s absence to keep an inconsistent Tampa Bay team on track.
Previous ranking: 19 Points percentage: 52.22% Next seven days: vs. TOR (Jan. 21), vs. CHI (Jan. 24)
Joey Daccord. Seattle had Daccord all along (as in, it selected the goaltender from Ottawa in the expansion draft). But because Daccord signed a fresh two-year contract in the offseason and became the Kraken’s No. 1 netminder for the first time, we’re counting him as a new add. Daccord has been exceptional for Seattle in a starting role and helped it weather the ups and downs of this early season. Talk about found money.
Previous ranking: 14 Points percentage: 54.55% Next seven days: @ CHI (Jan. 19), vs. DAL (Jan. 21), vs. VGK (Jan. 23), @ MTL (Jan. 25)
Mike Reilly. New York snagged Reilly off waivers from Florida when Adam Pelech was injured, and that move was been quite a steal for GM Lou Lamoriello. Reilly has carved out an effective role on the Islanders’ back end and is the type of low-maintenance, high-character skater Lamoriello loves to target. And all the better that Reilly practically fell into New York’s lap.
Previous ranking: 23 Points percentage: 52.22% Next seven days: vs. EDM (Jan. 20), vs. STL (Jan. 23), vs. CBJ (Jan. 25)
Yegor Sharangovich. Calgary acquired Sharangovich’s rights from New Jersey in the Tyler Toffoli trade in June and quickly signed him to a two-year deal that has paid fine dividends to date. Sharangovich is a top-three offensive producer for the club (and coming off a recent hat trick performance) who can consistently ignite the Flames’ attack.
Previous ranking: 21 Points percentage: 52.33% Next seven days: vs. NSH (Jan. 20), vs. PIT (Jan. 22), @ FLA (Jan. 24), @ TB (Jan. 25)
Alex Kerfoot. Arizona added a jack-of-all-trades player in Kerfoot — meaning, Kerfoot can (and has) played just about everywhere for the Coyotes. He rapidly earned coach Andre Tourigny’s trust with a strong defensive commitment and the skill to slide seamlessly from a first- to fourth-line spot. Whatever Arizona needs, Kerfoot has found ways to deliver.
Previous ranking: 24 Points percentage: 51.16% Next seven days: vs. WSH (Jan. 20), @ CGY (Jan. 23), @ VAN (Jan. 24)
Oskar Sundqvist. St. Louis technically had Sundqvist before bringing him back — two years later — on a one-year deal last summer. Details! What matters is Sundqvist 2.0 is an ideal fit for the Blues. He’s a hard-working, durable forward who can elevate skaters around him and never quits on a puck. It’s that sort of doggedness St. Louis missed when it lost Sundqvist.
Previous ranking: 25 Points percentage: 50.00% Next seven days: @ BOS (Jan. 20), vs. OTT (Jan. 23), vs. NYI (Jan. 25)
Alex Newhook. Montreal made a great call trading for Newhook over the summer — even though Newhook has spent weeks on the shelf because of a high-ankle sprain. He was superb to start the season (and is still top seven in scoring on the team despite that missed time) and will be a valuable contributor over the life of his four-year deal as the Habs move closer to playoff contention.
Previous ranking: 27 Points percentage: 48.89% Next seven days: vs. TB (Jan. 20), @ ANA (Jan. 23), @ LA (Jan. 24)
Zach Benson. Buffalo recently promoted rookie Benson to a top-line stint. He had earned his look. Benson has proved to be a trustworthy, responsible and clearly versatile piece for the Sabres, a north-south player who is unfazed by any assignment. At just 18 years old, Benson is repeatedly showing he’s NHL ready.
Previous ranking: 26 Points percentage: 46.59% Next seven days: @ FLA (Jan. 19), @ CAR (Jan. 21), vs. WSH (Jan. 23), vs. NSH (Jan. 25)
John Hynes. Minnesota didn’t adjust much in the offseason, and its 2023-24 campaign started poorly. Credit to GM Bill Guerin for not wasting time pursuing change when he axed coach Dean Evason on Nov. 27 and hired Hynes. The Wild were 5-10-4 when Hynes took over and have rebounded to the point the playoffs aren’t a pipe dream (perhaps just an uphill battle).
Adam Fantilli. Columbus chose well taking Adam Fantilli at No. 3 overall in June’s draft. The 19-year-old has been invaluable to the Blue Jackets in another injury-plagued campaign, moving throughout the lineup to eventually land an unexpectedly expanded role as a top-six center. Fantilli’s rapid growth has produced good numbers and burgeoning chemistry with multiple teammates.
Previous ranking: 29 Points percentage: 40.00% Next seven days: vs. WPG (Jan. 20), @ PHI (Jan. 21), @ MTL (Jan. 23), vs. BOS (Jan. 25)
Vladimir Tarasenko. Ottawa got what it paid for with Tarasenko. The veteran is an effective second-line winger making consistent contributions offensively. Given the one-year deal Tarasenko signed, his greatest value to the Senators might still be to come — as a trade candidate before March 8.
Previous ranking: 30 Points percentage: 35.23% Next seven days: @ SJ (Jan. 20), vs. NYR (Jan. 21), vs. BUF (Jan. 23), @ DAL (Jan. 25)
Leo Carlsson. Anaheim hit the right note taking Carlsson second overall in the 2023 draft. The 19-year-old — just back from a sprained MCL — plays with maturity beyond his years. Carlsson has game-changing potential, is dangerous at both ends of the ice and frustrates opponents with his tenacity. The Ducks are in for years of high-caliber performance from their top pick.
Previous ranking: 31 Points percentage: 31.11% Next seven days: vs. NYI (Jan. 19), @ VAN (Jan. 22), @ SEA (Jan. 24), @ EDM (Jan. 25)
Connor Bedard. Chicago drafted the generational talent at No. 1 for a reason. The rookie — currently sidelined by a fractured jaw — leads the Blackhawks in every meaningful offensive category and performs all over at 5-on-5 and special teams. Bedard will be itching to regain his form once cleared to return from injury.
Previous ranking: 32 Points percentage: 26.67% Next seven days: vs. ANA (Jan. 20), @ LA (Jan. 22), vs. NYR (Jan. 23)
Mikael Granlund. San Jose’s list of top performers is short and headlined by newcomer Granlund. He has had a great run individually and injected some life into the Sharks’ otherwise sputtering offense. San Jose got Granlund via a trade last summer. Will it have cause to flip him again before the deadline, and maximize what he has been able to produce so far?
ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.
LOS ANGELES — Mookie Betts stubbed a toe in his left foot during an off-the-field incident and missed the opener of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ highly anticipated series against the New York Yankees on Friday.
Betts is not expected to go on the injured list, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, but he will not start against the Yankees on Saturday or Sunday. Roberts said the hope is that Betts will return to the lineup shortly thereafter.
“For me, right now, it’s just day-to-day,” Roberts said after the Dodgers’ 8-5, come-from-behind win.
The incident, which affected the tip of Betts’ second toe, was believed to have occurred late Wednesday night, after the Dodgers returned from a six-game road trip, when Betts banged his toe against a piece of furniture at his house. Betts called Roberts to inform him about his toe on Friday morning, then underwent X-rays at Dodger Stadium later that afternoon.
Those X-rays revealed a fracture, a source told ESPN, confirming what Betts told the Los Angeles Times after Friday’s game. The Dodgers’ training staff will spend the weekend attempting to get the swelling down on his toe. At this point, the Dodgers don’t believe he can make the injury any worse by playing on it.
Said Roberts: “It’s going to be one of those situations per his [pain] tolerance.”
Betts’ injury isn’t the Dodgers’ most serious at the moment. Late-inning reliever Evan Phillips, who was rehabbing a forearm injury, didn’t feel right playing catch earlier this week and will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, knocking him out for all of 2025 and most of 2026.
Phillips, 30, was released by the Baltimore Orioles in August 2021 and designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays less than two weeks later. The Dodgers picked him up and turned him into a valuable late-game option. From 2022 to 2024, Phillips posted a 2.21 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, saved 44 games and struck out 206 batters in 179 regular-season innings.
But Phillips dealt with arm issues during last year’s postseason run and was left off the team’s World Series roster. He then went on the IL because of a rotator cuff strain in the middle of March, returned a month later, notched seven scoreless appearances, then went back on the IL on May 7 because of what the team called forearm discomfort. Platelet-rich-plasma injections did not take. Phillips never got better.
“As we started getting into it, it wasn’t really responding,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. “We felt like this could be a possibility, so as he got deeper into the process and it wasn’t really getting better, the decision to do it was pretty much evident with our information.” The loss of Phillips is coupled with the Dodgers having four other high-leverage relievers on the IL — Brusdar Graterol, Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech, all of whom are right-handed.
The Dodgers tried to backfill some of that depth by trading for former All-Star closer Alexis Diaz on Thursday. But Diaz, who struggled so badly this season that the Cincinnati Reds optioned him to Triple-A, will initially work out of the Dodgers’ spring training complex in Glendale, Arizona.
The Dodgers also have three starting pitchers — Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki — recovering from shoulder injuries, with Shohei Ohtani not expected to join the rotation until sometime after the All-Star break.
The lineup, at least, had been healthy. Until now.
Betts, 32, got off to a slow start but was still slashing .254/.338/.405 with eight home runs and five stolen bases while slotting between the hot-hitting Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in the No. 2 spot. More notably, Betts had proved to be a capable major league shortstop after working during the offseason at the position.
The hope is that the toe injury doesn’t set him back much longer than the rest of this weekend.
In the meantime, Miguel Rojas will continue to get starts at shortstop.
“It’s a good part about having depth,” Gomes said. “Keep the train moving.”
But the timeline was moved up one series and three days.
Trout was activated off the injured list and went 1-for-5 as the designated hitter in Friday night’s 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians. The Angels slugger missed 26 games because of soreness in his left knee that was eventually diagnosed as a bone bruise. The three-time American League MVP had two operations last year on the knee after tearing his meniscus.
“Felt good. Struck out on two at-bats, but other than that, felt all right,” said Trout, who batted fifth for the first time in 1,532 starts.
Trout lined a base hit to left-center in the fourth inning. He thought he had a hit in his first at-bat in the second inning, but Cleveland third baseman José Ramírez made a nice grab on a low line drive.
“I thought he had some good at-bats, considering that he hadn’t seen live pitching in a while,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “He hit the ball hard three times today. They made some good pitches when he struck out. But welcome back, Mike.”
Trout’s return also helped the Angels snap a five-game losing streak and improve to 28-30.
It was the first time since Sept. 26, 2011, Trout’s rookie season, that he started a game hitting lower than third.
Washington is happy to have Trout back, especially because he noted Trout wasn’t aggressive in rushing in his return. Washington also knows that Trout isn’t ready to return to his normal spot batting second or third.
“He hasn’t seen anything. So when you look at what we have, that’s where he sits,” Washington said before the game. “It doesn’t make sense for him to protect [Logan] O’Hoppe. So, I’ll put Mike behind him to protect O’Hoppe. He’s not ready to be at the top of the lineup, especially with those guys up there. As we go along the next couple of days, he’s not going to remain fifth.”
The 33-year-old Trout is hitting .180 with 9 home runs, 18 RBIs and a .712 OPS in 30 games. He will be the designated hitter for the weekend series against the Guardians before possibly returning to right field when the Halos head to Boston on Monday for a three-game series.
Even though Trout has shied away from wanting to be the designated hitter, he has done well in that spot. In eight games this season, he is 9-for-33 (.273) with 6 home runs and 9 RBIs.
Trout said whether he plays more games than originally planned at DH the remainder of the season is something that remains to be seen.
“Bone bruises are tricky. I know I am going to be sore, but I can deal with it,” he said. “I definitely have to be cautious, especially the first couple games.”
Trout has missed 404 of the Angels’ 665 games — almost 60% — since May 17, 2021, when he tore his calf muscle against Cleveland and was sidelined for the rest of that season. This is the fifth straight year he has had a stint of at least 25 games on the IL.
He missed five weeks of the 2022 season because of a back injury, and all but one game after July 3, 2023, after he broke a bone in his hand on a foul ball. Trout played in 29 games last season before the meniscus injury.
“There’s so many games that any sense of newness or something to make you excited is something that you’d latch on to. So, today is definitely a moment like that,” O’Hoppe said about Trout’s return. “He’s the heart of this organization. So, we’re happy to have our heart beating again for sure.”
ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.
LOS ANGELES — Mookie Betts stubbed a toe on his left foot during an off-the-field incident and was out of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ lineup Friday night for the opener of a highly anticipated weekend series against the New York Yankees.
Betts was scheduled to undergo X-rays at Dodger Stadium before first pitch. Until then, the team will hope for the best.
“It’s day-to-day right now,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So, that’s where we’re at.”
The incident — affecting Betts’ second toe — was believed to occur late Wednesday night, after the Dodgers returned from a six-game road trip through New York and Cleveland. Roberts didn’t find out until Betts called him Friday morning. He was vague on the details.
“I really don’t know,” Roberts said when asked how the injury occurred. “I think it was at home. It’s probably a dresser, nightstand, something like that. It’s just kind of an accident. I think that Mookie will be able to give more context, but that’s kind of from the training staff what I heard. So hopefully, it’s benign, it’s negative. Not sure, but I feel confident saying it’s day-to-day … but putting on a shoe today was difficult for him.”
Betts’ injury isn’t the Dodgers’ most serious at the moment. Late-inning reliever Evan Phillips, who was rehabbing a forearm injury, didn’t feel right playing catch earlier this week and will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, knocking him out for all of 2025 and most of 2026.
Phillips, 30, was released by the Baltimore Orioles in August 2021 and designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays less than two weeks later. The Dodgers picked him up and turned him into a valuable late-game option. From 2022 to 2024, Phillips posted a 2.21 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, saved 44 games and struck out 206 batters in 179 regular-season innings.
But Phillips dealt with arm issues during last year’s postseason run and was left off the team’s World Series roster. He then went on the IL because of a rotator cuff strain in the middle of March, returned a month later, notched seven scoreless appearances, then went back on the IL on May 7 because of what the team called forearm discomfort. Platelet-rich-plasma injections did not take. Phillips never got better.
“As we started getting into it, it wasn’t really responding,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. “We felt like this could be a possibility, so as he got deeper into the process and it wasn’t really getting better, the decision to do it was pretty much evident with our information.”
The Dodgers tried to backfill some of that depth by trading for former All-Star closer Alexis Diaz on Thursday. But Diaz, who struggled so badly this season that the Cincinnati Reds optioned him to Triple-A, will initially work out of the Dodgers’ spring training complex in Glendale, Ariz.
The Dodgers also have three starting pitchers — Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki — recovering from shoulder injuries, with Shohei Ohtani not expected to join the rotation until sometime after the All-Star break.
The lineup, at least, had been healthy. Until now.
Betts, 32, got off to a slow start but was still slashing .254/.338/.405 with 8 home runs and 5 stolen bases while slotting between the hot-hitting Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in the No. 2 spot. More notably, Betts had proven to be a capable major league shortstop after working during the offseason at the position.
But the toe injury could set him back, in much the same way a broken left hand robbed him of nearly two months in 2024.
At this point, Roberts said, “I don’t see it being long term.” But the Dodgers can’t say that definitively yet.
“We need to see the doctors and kind of get a better sense of it,” Gomes said. “It happened pretty recently, so it’ll take some time before we have a better understanding.”