Andrew Friedman Admits Dodgers Didn’t Expect Fully Healthy Seasons From Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell
Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman recently spoke about the Dodgers splashing on pitchers over the last two offseasons.
The Dodgers struggled with injuries among their pitching staff in 2024 — especially in the postseason — and immediately fixed this weakness in their squad. They signed Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell, Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott in the offseason, reinforcing their depth in both starting and relief pitching ahead of the season.
However, in those additions — as well as the prior offseason additions of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow — Friedman and the Dodgers knew they were taking a risk. Glasnow and Snell, for example, didn’t exactly have the cleanest injury history.
Friedman was asked if the Dodgers expected them to be fully healthy when they arrived, or if they planned to have them miss time throughout their tenure.
“Yeah, I guess we weren’t sure,” Friedman said ahead of the World Series. “But it wasn’t something where we were going to be really surprised. I think the whole point of depth is that injuries happen. Sometimes they happen in clusters, ideally they happen where they’re more spaced out. And the last thing that we want to do is say, Oh well, we won 81 games this year because we just didn’t have depth, we had injuries and it was bad luck.
“So it’s trying to be as prepared as we can, not knowing exactly what’s going to happen or when. But to have that depth to help backfill and keep our heads above water during periods where it’s more clustered — and we went through some periods this year where it was very clustered, the injuries. So I wouldn’t say we knew it for certain, but we know it’s a possibility and just trying to be as prepared as we can be.”
The Dodgers’ depth-building paid off, as they suffered a surreal amount of injuries in the early season — including to Snell and Glasnow — but managed to retain their position at the top of the NL West until their major pitching pieces were fit to return.
The Dodgers’ investment into their pitching staff has paid off so far this season, and they entered the postseason with potentially the best rotation in the major leagues. The Dodgers’ starting pitchers have kept a 2.54 ERA this postseason, which ranks the best among teams who made their respective League Championship Series.
They’ll hope their starters can switch back on after a rough couple of games against the Toronto Blue Jays, who are on the verge of winning their first World Series Championship since 1993. The Dodgers face elimination in Game 6, and will hope Yoshinobu Yamamoto can deliver another fantastic performance to keep them alive.
Former Chiefs Fan Favorite Makes Career Announcement
The Kansas City Chiefs are locked in on their upcoming matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes didn’t mince words about the team’s upcoming road trip to Highmark Stadium.
“I mean, they don’t like us,” Mahomes told reporters of Bills fans. “That’s pretty obvious. They do not like the Chiefs. But I mean, it is a cool environment. I love playing in, like, historic stadiums, and that stadium has had so many great players play in it. And who knows, it might be the last time that we get that opportunity to play there.”
While Kansas City prepares to take on Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Co. in enemy territory, former Chiefs tight end Jody Fortson made a career announcement on Thursday, October 30.
Fortson initially joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2019. Despite minimal playing time, he became a fan favorite. After two years on the practice squad, he joined the active roster in 2021. Between 2021 and 2022, he appeared in 21 games, recording 14 receptions for 155 yards and four touchdowns. He missed the entirety of the 2023 NFL season after he suffered a shoulder injury in training camp.
He briefly left for a short stint with the Miami Dolphins but returned before the 2024 season. Unfortunately, Fortson, 29, suffered a heartbreaking season-ending injury in Week 8.
Former Chiefs TE Jordon Fortson Is ‘Fully Cleared,’ Ready to Sign
GettyChiefs tight end ody Fortson at Allegiant Stadium on October 27, 2024.
Nearly a year to the day that Fortson suffered a devastating right leg injury against the Las Vegas Raiders, the three-time Super Bowl champ is ready to make a comeback.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport announced, “Fortson, who tore his ACL and meniscus last year trying to recover an on-sides kick, has been fully cleared and is ready to sign with a team, per his agents @KatzBrosSports.”
To say Chiefs Kingdom was excited would be an understatement. One fan commented, “Come back to KC.” One man posted, “CHIEFS PLEASEEE.” Another fan wrote, “🚨 OLD FRIEND ALERT @Chiefs 🚨.”
The Chiefs are in the business of bringing back familiar faces, as they re-signed nose tackle Mike Pennel yesterday. To make room for Pennel, Kansas City released defensive end Malik Herring.
Jody Fortson Called Chiefs TE Travis Kelce His ‘Favorite Player on Any Level’
GettyChiefs tight end Travis Kelce with former teammate Jody Fortson (L) at SoFi Stadium on November 20, 2022.
It’s safe to assume Fortson would love to return Kansas City, especially to reunite with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, whom the 29-year-old considers a close mentor
“Travis Kelce is my favorite teammate of all time on any level — Pop Warner, high school, college,” Fortson told reporters in March 2024. “Not only because he took his time trying to like teach me the role of being a tight end, but just because of how a great person he is. He didn’t have to… He just showed unconditional love and knowledge for the game.”
The Valdosta State alum offered his mentor the highest praise possible. “Being in a room with Kelce, it probably, not probably, it definitely set me forward light years of where I would have been had I not had arguably the greatest of all time in that room. Being able to learn and see how he’s attacking different routes, and why he views coverage like this… you’re not able to get that unless you’re with somebody who knows that.”
With Kelce, he learned to slow his game down and have patience. Fortson called working with the future Hall of Famer an “extraordinary blessing.”
