Dodgers Eye Third Consecutive World Series, But Title Is Far From Guaranteed

For an MLB record-tying 14th consecutive season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to the postseason. The Dodgers clinched a postseason berth with Monday's win ( LA 4, CIN 1 ) and had a muted celebration in the Great American Ball Park visiting clubhouse. A larger celebration will come when they clinch the NL West, which could happen as soon as Wednesday.

"It's different than anything I've experienced, for sure," Tarik Skubal , who threw seven shutout innings on Monday, said following the game (via MLB.com ). "But I think it just speaks to the people in this room and what they expect out of this team. That was cool. A little toast and move on. Forget it happened. We've got more to accomplish this season."

The Dodgers are favored to win the World Series and become baseball's first back-to-back-to-back champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees , but under no circumstances is it  fait accompli . The Dodgers were inches -- inches! -- away from losing the World Series multiple times last year, and this year's team looks to be much more vulnerable.

Dodgers clinch playoff berth: Three reasons why the reigning World Series champions can threepeat Matt Snyder

With the caveat that they are an excellent team and a bona fide World Series contender, here are four reasons the Dodgers may not complete the threepeat and fail to win this year's World Series.

1. Ohtani is compromised

Shohei Ohtani LAD • DH • #17

BA 0.277 R 89 HR 30 RBI 80 SB 11 View Profile

The Dodgers are good enough and deep enough to win the World Series without Shohei Ohtani being a major contributor, but it would be awfully difficult, and Ohtani is clearly compromised. He has not pitched since June 3 ( and won't pitch again this year ) due to knee, biceps, and neck issues. Issues that have bled into his hitting and recently sent him to the injured list .

"I think he realizes it's the best thing for him," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said when Ohtani was placed on the injured list (via MLB.com ). "To give him the best chance to be the player he wants to be -- we want him to be -- in October."

Ohtani went 7 for 54 (.130) with 22 strikeouts in the 14 games before going on the injured list. Quite often, he would grimace and flex out his right arm after taking a swing. As a two-way player, Ohtani had to go on the pitcher 15-day IL, not the position player 10-day IL. He is eligible to return on Wednesday, Sept. 23. The Dodgers will have five games remaining in their regular season at that point.

Los Angeles is in position to secure a top-two seed and a Wild Card Series bye, and that five-day break could really help Ohtani. It's more opportunity to rest and heal, first and foremost, but those days also give him a chance to hit in a more controlled setting as he tries to get back to his MVP-caliber level at the plate. It's been quite some time since we've seen MVP Ohtani.

Bottom line, Ohtani is battling multiple injuries and a team's World Series odds always take a hit when its best player is not 100% physically and unable to perform at his best. We already know Ohtani won't pitch this October. A lesser version of Ohtani at the plate would only compound the problem and make a threepeat even more of an uphill climb.

2. The offense is not firing on all cylinders

Freddie Freeman LAD • 1B • #5

BA 0.293 R 72 HR 16 RBI 66 SB 7 View Profile

It has flown under the radar because the attention is on Ohtani's injuries and performance, but Freddie Freeman is beat up too. He was out of the lineup Monday for the third time in five games as the Dodgers manage an achy right knee. Freeman is 3 for 30 with 10 strikeouts in September and recently snapped a 47-game home run drought. Like Ohtani, Freeman hasn't been himself.

"I just think right now, with where we're at in the season, an IL is not an option in the sense of -- I personally don't think we have a better option," Roberts said about Freeman's knee (via MLB.com ). "I don't think it needs to be 10 days (out of the lineup). But could it be more than one? That's a fair question."

Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández have gotten it together of late, boosting the offense, but the Dodgers have enough concerns about their run-scoring ability with Freeman and Ohtani banged up that they called up top prospect Josue De Paula last week. He is getting regular playing time and could push his way into the postseason lineup, perhaps at Kyle Tucker's expense.

Since the All-Star break, the Dodgers rank 14th in baseball with 4.51 runs scored per game, and they rank 18th with 59 home runs. Eleven times in their last 21 games, they've scored four runs or fewer. There's enough star power here that they're still a threat to put up a crooked number on any given night, but too often lately the Dodgers have had to scratch and claw to generate offense.

With Freeman and Ohtani compromised physically, Tucker being a non-factor basically all season, and others like Tommy Edman and Max Muncy (and Betts and Hernández) going through deep slumps throughout the year, there are definitely times the Dodgers look short on firepower. Stars can cover for a lot of shortcomings. For the Dodgers right now, those stars are banged up.

3. They have bullpen issues

Edwin Díaz LAD • RP • #3

ERA 11.85 WHIP 2.56 IP 13.2 BB 10 K 19 View Profile

The Dodgers had bullpen issues last postseason, so they signed Edwin Díaz , last offseason's top free-agent reliever. Díaz has had a poor season, though, and he's currently out with a neck issue. His minor-league rehab assignment is going so poorly -- Díaz allowed five runs and got two outs in Triple-A on Sunday -- that Roberts would not commit to him being on the postseason roster.

"We have to go with our best pitchers as far as performance, talent, all that stuff," Roberts said recently (via The Athletic ). "So my bet is that he will be (on the postseason roster). But again, there's got to be some kind of evidence or something for us, again, to sort of bet on. And so my bet is yes, but we still got to see something."

Hard-throwing setup man Edgardo Henriquez hit the injured list with a back issue over the weekend and his postseason availability is in question. Evan Phillips has been very home run-prone since returning from Tommy John surgery a few weeks ago. Alex Vesia has battled walk problems all season. The Dodgers have Jack Dreyer , Tanner Scott , and a lot of questions in the bullpen.

Low-cost trade deadline pickup Kris Bubic will join the Dodgers this week after missing four months with a shoulder issue, and could boost the relief corps. Roki Sasaki is expected back from his blister soon, perhaps this weekend, and could factor into the bullpen as well. Add in Díaz (maybe), and the Dodgers do have some talented arms coming to help the bullpen.

For sure, though, there are some major questions at the back of the bullpen right now. The Dodgers were able to navigate a shaky relief crew last postseason, and really during the 2024 postseason too, but it's easier said than done, and it is a vulnerability. Poor bullpen performance sends great teams home every October.

4. Sometimes, the best teams lose

Are we even sure the Dodgers are the best team? The Milwaukee Brewers have a better record, a better run differential, and a better BaseRuns record. The Dodgers are the two-time defending champions and that has earned them the benefit of the doubt, but past performance doesn't guarantee future success. It has not been smooth sailing for the 2026 Dodgers at all.

Two years ago at this time, the Dodgers were chokers who consistently failed in October and only had a World Series title during the bizarre 2020 season to show for all their regular-season success. They won 111 games in 2022 and got sent home in four games during the NLDS. They won 100 games in 2023 and got swept in the NLDS. They almost lost Game 7 how many times last year?

Great teams lose in the postseason all the time. That's just baseball. Sometimes a bounce doesn't go your way, your top hitters are beat up and unable to perform up, your bullpen has a bad game, whatever. It can be difficult to grapple with, but when a great team gets sent home in October, the explanation can sometimes be no more complicated than "it just wasn't their week."

Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/dodgers-world-series-threepeat-shohei-ohtani-offense-bullpen/)._