Ohtani Takes the Mound as Dodgers Desperately Need a Stopper

• Shohei Ohtani takes the mound with a 1.00 ERA to stop the Dodgers' three-game losing streak.
• The Dodgers' NL West lead has shrunk to 3.5 games after a rough weekend.
• The offense, led by Will Smith (.323 AVG) and Ohtani (34 HR), needs to provide run support.
• Blake Treinen and Blake Snell have been sent to Triple-A for rehab assignments.
• The Dodgers face the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium.

After a rough weekend that saw their NL West lead shrink, the Los Angeles Dodgers are handing the ball to their ace. Shohei Ohtani is set to take the mound at Dodger Stadium tonight against the Minnesota Twins, tasked with the simple but crucial job of stopping a three-game losing streak and steadying a ship that has started to take on water.

With a pristine 1.00 ERA, Shohei Ohtani is exactly the ace the Dodgers need to get back on track.

The Ace We Need

All eyes will be on Shohei Ohtani tonight as he faces the Twins. Sporting a microscopic 1.00 ERA, he's been everything the Dodgers could have hoped for on the mound this season. He'll need that dominance against a Minnesota team looking to play spoiler. While Ohtani handles pitching duties, the offense, led by the ever-consistent Will Smith (.323 AVG) and Ohtani's own powerful bat (34 HR), needs to provide run support against Twins starter David Festa (5.25 ERA). Despite the recent skid, the Dodgers are still a formidable 33-20 at home and hold a 3.5-game lead in the division, but another loss would certainly raise the collective blood pressure in Los Angeles.

Reinforcements on the Horizon?

While the focus is on tonight's game, the front office was busy making moves to shore up the future of the pitching staff. Both Blake Treinen and Blake Snell were sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City today. For Treinen, it's a massive step forward—a rehab assignment that signals his return from injury is imminent. This is welcome news for a bullpen that desperately misses his veteran presence, especially with Evan Phillips out for the season. The Snell move is more intriguing, but likely a similar rehab stint to get him back to form. The good news doesn't stop there. Brusdar Graterol (shoulder) is reportedly throwing and could begin his own rehab assignment in August, while Kyle Hurt (Tommy John) has resumed bullpen sessions, giving fans hope for a late-season boost.

Tonight is about one thing: getting a 'W'. A brilliant start from Ohtani and a few timely hits can wash away the bad taste of the last three games. But looking beyond Monday, the real story is the race to get healthy. If Treinen and Graterol can return to form, the Dodgers' bullpen will transform from a question mark into a major strength just in time for the October push. The journey to a championship is a marathon, and right now, the Dodgers are relying on their ace to keep them on pace.