Tarik Skubal Officially Makes Dodgers Debut to Save a Leaking Rotation
Bob Nightengale tweeted the official lineup card for Skubal's Dodger debut.
The Los Angeles Dodgers actually pulled it off. is officially in Dodger Blue, and Bob Nightengale just dropped the lineup card to prove this isn't some fever dream from a trade machine.
Seeing Skubal's name penciled in as the starter is the kind of midseason flex that shifts futures overnight. The rich get richer, and the rest of the National League is officially on notice.
The timing could not be better for Los Angeles. The Dodgers just dropped a 10-5 game to the on Monday and got swept by the Boston Red Sox over the weekend.
Their pitching staff has been leaking oil, giving up 21 runs over their last three games. You can only out-hit your pitching problems for so long before the bullpen completely combusts.
Adding an ace like Skubal to this roster is like giving a billionaire a winning lottery ticket. It just feels fundamentally unfair to everyone else trying to grind out a wild card spot with duct-taped rotations.
You do not trade for a guy of this caliber just to win Tuesday night games in August. You make this move so you do not have to sweat when the playoff lights get bright in October.
Skubal takes the mound against the Cubs next to stop the bleeding. If he comes out dealing and shuts down Chicago, the panic meter for the rest of the league is going to shatter.