Pitchers and left field lead Dodgers’ inbox

This story was excerpted from Juan Toribio’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

It’s been an eventful start to the Dodgers season, which -- despite the ugly loss on Monday in Milwaukee -- was punctuated with a pretty good weekend of baseball in San Diego.

Of course, there’s a lot of season left. There’s going to be plenty of ups and downs as the Dodgers continue to figure out what team they’ll be. But, until all that unfolds, it’s time for another Dodgers inbox. Let’s answer some questions:

They seem to be fine giving him a long runway, but when realistically does a conversation happen about Noah Syndergaard moving to the bullpen (or getting DFA’d)? -- @StanOfStans88 via Twitter

There’s no doubt that Syndergaard has gotten off to a disappointing start. The velocity doesn’t seem to be coming back, and the Dodgers already pushed him back a few days, mostly so he can get a reset and doesn’t have to pitch against the Padres.

But despite those struggles, Syndergaard will continue to get opportunities in the rotation. With five months left in the season, Syndergaard’s ability to log innings is still valuable. The Dodgers also need to guard against potential injury in the rotation. But if Syndergaard struggles on Tuesday against the Brewers and over his next few starts, the Dodgers could start looking at Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone and Ryan Pepiot -- whenever he recovers from his oblique injury.

When might we see Stone return to the bigs? -- @ethan_fore via Twitter

Well, if Syndergaard continues to struggle, maybe this happens sooner than later. But Stone still has to work on polishing his pitches in the Minors. With that being said, Stone will be a big part of the Dodgers this season and in the future. If the Dodgers suffer an injury or if they want to go for a six-man rotation for at least one turn through, Stone will be that guy.

Can [Michael] Busch play left?! And is he worth DFAing one of [David] Peralta, [Jason] Heyward or Trayce Thompson? Thanks -- @GrantEberly1 via Twitter

Busch played 13 games in left field in the Minors last season. However, playing left field and focusing on hitting, especially as a rookie at the big league level, is a lot to ask out of a young player.

Also, Heyward has a .830 OPS, so he’s not going anywhere. As for Peralta, he is still giving the Dodgers a Gold Glove-caliber outfielder in left. Thompson, however, needs to produce over the next few weeks, or the Dodgers will need to make a decision on him.

Instead of going to Thompson, the Dodgers have used Austin Barnes and Miguel Rojas as pinch-hit options against left-handed pitchers. Thompson just hasn’t been able to hit lefties since joining the Dodgers last season.

With the way the roster is constructed, that’s the only way he provides value. Since his three-homer game on April 1, Thompson is 4-for-46 with 26 strikeouts. How will the Dodgers manage the trade deadline if we keep this current win-loss rate? -- @ATW2023 via Twitter

If the Dodgers are in the mix for a postseason spot or to win the National League West, which is expected, they’ll be aggressive in the trade market. The big prize could be All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson if the White Sox continue to struggle. If he becomes available, the Dodgers will be one of the many suitors for his talents. Adding a right-handed-hitting outfielder could also be a priority if Thompson continues his struggles.