Giants hand Dodgers a life raft after brutal Rafael Devers injury news

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a tough spot right now. The bullpen is disintegrating and that's just the start of the bad news. Shohei Ohtani has succumbed to the Dodgers' mismanagement of his injuries, and now Freddie Freeman is dealing with a barking knee as well.

In a bigger picture view, the offense has been hurting for a while now. Since August 1, Los Angeles ranks 16th in OPS with a .715 mark, and now things look even bleaker without Ohtani and Freeman banged up.

The Milwaukee Brewers have already clinched a playoff berth, but home-field advantage is still up for grabs. But with just 11 games remaining, the clock is ticking for LA to make its move.

Fortunately, they have received a gift. The Dodgers have a soft schedule with series against the Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants remaining. The Reds have been in a downward spiral since June, the Padres are fighting for their playoff lives, and the Giants have had a very disappointing 2026. Only San Diego stands out as a tough task.

Six of the 13 remaining games are against San Francisco, and while the Giants were already looking like a pushover, they've just lost Rafael Devers for the remainder of the season, making this a real opportunity.

Rafael Devers' absence will help the Dodgers in their quest to clinch all-important postseason home-field advantage

Devers had largely been a disappointment since landing in San Francisco during last year's stunning trade. In 2025, he saw his OPS drop nearly 100 points from .905 with the Red Sox to .807 with the Giants, and that trend continued throughout the first half of 2026 with the 29-year-old recording a .799 OPS.

However, since the All-Star Break, the left-handed slugger has posted a .988 OPS, good for third in the majors. He's clocked 37 dingers, with 18 of them coming in 52 second-half contests.

The Giants were already pretty lifeless, but without Devers, they're about as threatening as a teddy bear, and it comes at the perfect time for the Dodgers.

Going for the threepeat is incredibly hard. The last team to do it was the New York Yankees from 1998 to 2000. Before that, it was the 1972-1974 Oakland Athletics. In fact, no NL team has ever managed to win three consecutive World Series rings, and the A's are the only non-Yankees team to reach the accomplishment.

Therefore, the Dodgers will need every advantage in order to make history, especially if the injury issues linger into October. Having home field advantage throughout the playoffs would be hugely beneficial, but in order to obtain it, they'll need to pass the Brewers. These six games against the Giants could be the key.

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