On Thursday, ESPN released their most recent weekly MLB power rankings that featured the Los Angeles Dodgers as no. 3. They trailed the Philadelphia Phillies & New York Yankees, respectively, while leading the Baltimore Orioles & Cleveland Guardians to round out the top five.
Anecdotally, it's hard to remember a time when the Dodgers weren't feature as one of the top two teams in the power rankings. But with the Phillies racking up wins and the Yankees on a run, it's hardly a surprise. Especially within the context of a five-game Dodger losing streak that we're less than a week clear of at this point.
The accompanying blurb noted the streak, a brutal inning last Friday against Cincinnati, and the Dodgers' woes with runners in scoring position. However, there was a single sentence that mattered more than any other point they could have made:
"A lot of this can be addressed with health, though."
And that's really the most important thing to keep in mind with the Dodgers as we approach the month of June. While they're coming off a sweep of the Mets, it'll take a little bit longer before fans start to feel comfortable about their collective roster power, given the issues present in the stretch beforehand.
But the "issues" in question can very much be resolved as the Dodgers start to get healthier. This includes the eventual return of Max Muncy to lengthen the lineup, particularly in the backend. It includes the return of high-leverage relievers. Ryan Brasier & Evan Phillips could be set to return soon. Joe Kelly, too. The timetable is a little murkier with Brusdar Graterol, but you don't need them all back at the same time. And don't forget about Bobby Miller's impending return on the starting front, either.
The ultimate takeaway here is a fairly obvious one. But it's also one that folks who don't follow the team daily might tend to lose sight of. The Dodgers have bounced back, but they're still an imperfect group. Those imperfections become less glaring with a healthy unit. And whatever imperfections remain when the team is healthy, they obviously have the willingness to handle any shortcomings accordingly.