Dodgers analyst's major concern for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow going into 2025 season

The starting rotation of the 2025 LA Dodgers is shaping up to be one of the greatest in baseball history. The lineup features two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, three-time NPB Pacific League MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, three-time MLB MVP Shohei Ohtani — and possibly NPB ace Roki Sasaki.

On the most recent episode of the "Dodgers Territory" podcast hosted by Alana Rizzo and analyst Clint Pasillas, the latter discussed the prospect of having one of the best pitching rotations in MLB and the challenges of navigating a grueling season.

"There's a lot of things that I really like about this team," Pasillas said.

"But if I'm being nitpicky and trying to find potential concerns, it's surviving and briding the 162-game gap until October without severely overworking guys like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow to where they could potentially be unavailable when the postseason rolls around." (8:55 onwards)

Pasillas's concern is valid, as Yoshinobu Yamamoto missed close to three months last year due to a strained rotator cuff. Tyler Glasnow, meanwhile, has been out since August 2024 after suffering an elbow injury.

Even though the Dodgers won it all last season, it didn’t come without challenges. The team lost starters Clayton Kershaw, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone and Dustin May, forcing manager Dave Roberts to rely on a committee of relievers to close out games during the postseason.

Left with just Yamamoto, Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty as his healthy starters, Roberts leaned on Anthony Banda, Brusdar Graterol, Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen to secure critical outs during their championship run.

Alana Rizzo expresses full confidence with the Dodgers

In the same podcast episode, host Alanna Rizzo expressed her full confidence in the LA Dodgers and their quest to clinch a repeat title this year.

"I love this team. Of course a lot can change, but I think they've done a tremendous job this offseason. They have some huge pieces coming back," said Rizzo.

She dismissed the injury-related concerns raised by Pasillas, noting that staying healthy is a universal challenge for all teams.

"Isn't [health] always the concern going into every season? That's just how it goes. I don't care if you're the Dodgers or the Rockies, you always hope to stay healthy."

It will be fascinating to see if the powerhouse squad can maintain their health over the course of the next season and how they manage any setbacks while aiming to defend their World Series crown.