Dodgers News: Rotation Will Be Shuffled After All-Star Break

The Los Angeles Dodgers have remained in first place to this point, despite receiving just four starts from Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu combined. Those four starts all came from McCarthy too.

Right-handers Carlos Frias and Mike Bolsinger have filled in admirably since earning their way into the rotation, and left-hander Brett Anderson has been even better than the Dodgers could have imagined when they signed him to a one-year deal this offseason. Clayton Kershaw has struggled a but, but is still a dominant pitcher, and Zack Greinke is a Cy Young candidate. While the Dodgers will be looking for starting pitching this trading deadline, they have plans for the current quintet.

According to Alanna Rizzo of SportsNet LA, manager Don Mattingly will reset the rotation after the All-Star break:

LAD will change up order of rotation after AS break to split up Kershaw/Greinke & Bolsinger/Frias to make pen innings more balanced.

— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) July 1, 2015

As it currently stands, the order of the rotation is Kershaw, Greinke, Bolsinger Frias and Anderson. The current problem comes with Bolsinger and Frias pitching on consecutive days is that the two young starters have trouble going deep into games. Breaking up that duo and placing them in between Kershaw and Greinke leaves the Dodgers with a better rested bullpen.

It would be assumed that Kershaw pitches the first game out of the break; however, Mattingly could decide based on matchups. Either way, the Dodgers will have a different look coming out of the break. After the All-Star break, it will be just two more weeks until the trade deadline, meaning the rotation could change again.

The Dodgers will need their rotation to keep pitching like the first half in order to remain in first place.