Dodgers Land Halvorsen as Injuries Pile Up

The Dodgers fired the first shot of their trade deadline Monday, landing Rockies reliever Seth Halvorsen. Los Angeles gave up two prospects for a bullpen arm that touches triple digits. The move signals urgency from a club chasing a repeat.

A 98 MPH Gamble While Ohtani and Smith Sit

Los Angeles sent right-hander Nick Frasso and outfielder Landyn Vidourek to Colorado in the swap. Halvorsen, 26, is midway through a rehab assignment after a shoulder injury. The trade marks the first deadline move by the Dodgers this summer. It closed exactly two weeks before the August 3 deadline, which arrives at 6 p.m. ET.

The velocity explains the gamble. Halvorsen averages 98.8 mph on his fastball, a 98th percentile mark among MLB pitchers. His 2026 line is ugly: a 4.74 ERA, 1.95 WHIP and 15.6 percent walk rate over 19 innings. Halvorsen also struck out just 17.7 percent of hitters before the shoulder issue shelved him. His 5.73 FIP points to even deeper command trouble. Frasso, 27, posted a 4.74 ERA with 40 strikeouts across 24.2 Triple-A innings. Vidourek, 22, ranked No. 25 in the Dodgers system but hit .170 with a .643 OPS in 256 Single-A plate appearances.

The bullpen bet arrives while the Dodgers absorb two roster blows. Shohei Ohtani remains out of the rotation indefinitely with left knee irritation and last pitched July 3. Ohtani received a lubricant injection in the knee after Sunday’s game against the Diamondbacks. Ohtani is not scheduled to take the mound during the current Yankees series. The two-way star went 8-2 with a 0.74 ERA through 10 starts, the third lowest such mark since 1913. Ohtani still leads NL qualifiers with a .420 on-base percentage at the plate. Catcher Will Smith was shut down again with an inflamed disc in his neck. Manager Dave Roberts set mid-August as Smith’s earliest return.

None of it changes the plan. Katie Woo of The Athletic reports the injuries will not alter the Dodgers deadline strategy. Los Angeles owns MLB’s best record at 63-37 and leads the NL West. The rival Padres could dangle closer Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Michael King, raising the stakes of every arms race.

Watch Halvorsen’s rehab outings over the next two weeks. If the 98.8 mph velocity holds, the Dodgers add a cheap October weapon for the cost of two fringe prospects. Team sources told Bleacher Report the club feels comfortable patching its rotation internally until reinforcements arrive. The deadline hits August 3, and Los Angeles rarely stops at one move.