Series Preview: Dodgers host Marlins for three-game set

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium on September 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

(Ric Tapia - The Sporting Tribune)

LOS ANGELES -- Coming off a weekend series against the Cubs where they took two of three, the Dodgers cleaned up any lingering questions about their identity.

A late-inning blown lead in the opener looked like a continuation from San Francisco, but outscoring Chicago 18-4 behind a strong bullpen got them back on track as the Marlins come to town.

Dodgers (19-9, 1st in NL West)

There are two versions of the Dodgers right now. The one that overwhelms you early, and the one that lets you back in.

The gap between those two versions starts — and often ends — with pitching depth.

The rotation has largely held. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.48 ERA) has looked like a true ace, with his command driving everything. He’s walking just over two batters per nine innings and generating weak contact consistently, but the next step is efficiency. When he’s forced deeper into counts, his outings shorten, and that’s where the bullpen starts to feel exposed.

That’s not a small detail right now.

The Dodgers are managing a heavy injury load on the pitching side. With Blake Snell, Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, and others unavailable, the margin for error late in games is thinner than expected for a team built on depth. It showed against Chicago. It’s something Miami will test — not necessarily with power, but with contact and pressure.

That’s where the Dodgers’ offensive identity matters more.

Max Muncy has been doing his part. Nine home runs already, and more importantly, he’s punishing mistakes early in counts. His ability to change a game in one swing has stabilized innings that otherwise stall. Around him, Andy Pages (.337 average) has turned from a hot start into something more stable — his bat speed and willingness to use the whole field have made him one of the more difficult outs in the lineup right now.

Then there’s Shohei Ohtani.

His numbers don’t jump off the page in the same way yet — six home runs, limited stolen bases — but the underlying impact is still there. When he’s getting on base, the entire offense shifts. Sunday was a reminder of that. He reached, created pressure, and finished with a home run that felt less like a breakout and more like a reset point.

The Dodgers don’t need Ohtani to carry them. But they do need him to connect innings. When he’s active on the bases and forcing pitchers into quicker decisions, the lineup becomes more than just power.

That’s the version they’ll want against Miami’s pitching staff.

The other storyline to watch is how the Dodgers handle the middle innings. Justin Wrobleski (1.50 ERA as a starter) has quietly given them stability, but this series leans on the front three — Yamamoto, Ohtani (as a pitcher), and Tyler Glasnow.

Glasnow might be the most important piece in this series.

At 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA, his swing-and-miss ability gives the Dodgers something they don’t consistently get right now: a way to avoid contact-heavy innings. Miami doesn’t chase a ton. They’ll put balls in play. Glasnow is the counter to that.

Marlins (13-15, 2nd in NL East)

The Marlins are more dangerous than their record suggests, but not in an obvious way.

They don’t overwhelm you. They wear on you.

Connor Norby is a big part of that right now. After adjusting his stance, he’s already seeing results, including a 418-foot home run and multiple extra-base hits over the past week. It’s not just the power — it’s the way he’s staying through the ball. That plays well against a Dodgers staff that has leaned on soft contact rather than pure strikeouts in certain spots.

Xavier Edwards continues to set the table. He’s not a headline name, but his contact rate and ability to extend at-bats fit exactly what challenges the Dodgers’ current pitching situation. If Miami is going to create problems, it starts with traffic — not damage.

Then there’s Sandy Alcantara.

He’s not just the Marlins’ best pitcher — he’s the one piece in this series that can flip the expected script. After a rough stretch that included a seven-run outing and control issues, his last start (six innings, one walk, 75 strikes) was a reset. When he’s filling the zone like that, he changes the tempo of a game.

Miami’s bigger issue might be how they manage everything around Alcantara.

Their bullpen decisions have already cost them games. Pulling Max Meyer early in a winnable situation against San Francisco led directly to a loss. It’s not just execution — it’s timing. Against a Dodgers lineup that can flip innings quickly, those decisions get magnified.

There’s also the lineup construction.

Miami has leaned into platoons, but the results haven’t supported it. Heriberto Hernández, slugging .197, and other fill-in options against left-handed pitching haven’t produced, while some of their core bats have been taken out of rhythm.

Pitching Probables

Monday, April 27: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2-2, 2.48 ERA) vs. Chris Paddak (0-4, 6.83 ERA)

Tuesday, April 28: Shohei Ohtani (2-0, 0.38 ERA) vs. Janson Junk (1-2, 3.67 ERA)

Wednesday, April 29: Tyler Glasnow (3-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.05 ERA)

Injury Report

Dodgers

Day-to-day: 3B Max Muncy, C Will Smith

10-day IL: SS Mookie Betts, INF/OF Tommy Edman

15-day IL: RHP Ben Casparius, RHP Edwin Diaz, RHP Brusdar Graterol, RHP Landon Knack, RHP Brock Stewart, LHP Blake Snell

60-day IL: RHP Jake Cousins, INF/OF Kiké Hernández, RHP Bobby Miller, RHP Evan Phillips, RHP Gavin Stone

Marlins

Day-to-day: none

10-day IL: OF Griffin Conine, 1B Christopher Morel,

15-day IL: none

60-day IL: RHP Ronny Henriquez, RHP Adam Mazur,