What's the actual panic level for Dodgers fans with postseason fast approaching?

The Los Angeles Dodgers were 96-60 entering their penultimate series of the regular season against the San Diego Padres. The National League West is theirs for a fifth straight season, and if the 2026 campaign ended today, LA would be the No. 2 seed in the National League and receive a first-round bye.

That all sounds like the Dodgers are sitting pretty entering October. So why are so some fans of the reigning champs possibly feeling nervous -- even panicking, perhaps -- about the upcoming postseason?

Shohei Ohtani, other question marks have some Dodgers fans feeling anxious

Boasting the best baseball player on the planet has always been an unspoken confidence booster for the Dodgers and their fanbase. Suddenly, when Shohei Ohtani looks mortal (as he has a lot this season due to injury), that built-in confidence dissipates and leaves a void in its place.

It doesn't help that the Dodgers' leadership sort of botched Ohtani's injury management this season. The severity of his biceps inflammation and knee problems could've been mitigated by more rest. The Dodgers will likely be without Ohtani the pitcher this postseason, and he's probably not going to be 100% at the plate, either. The whole situation casts an ominous cloud over their pursuit of a three-peat.

If Ohtani isn't capable of producing offensively, can the Dodgers rely on the rest of their cast of stars to carry the load? Mookie Betts has caught fire lately, and Teoscar Hernández also looks to be in good form at the right time. But Kyle Tucker has been unreliable for nearly the entire season. Freddie Freeman is obviously past his prime, and Andy Pages will surely be rusty when he is re-inserted.

On the pitching side of things, the Dodgers can't complain about their rotation, even with Ohtani scratched and Blake Snell still iffy. At worst, a playoff trio of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, and Tyler Glasnow is still World Series-worthy.

But the bullpen is undeniably a source of great angst. The Edwin Díaz experience has been an overall stinker in 2026. No one else beyond Edgardo Henriquez has looked like a light-out closer lately, and he's currently on the IL. The Dodgers are toying with the idea of throwing Roki Sasaki back into a bullpen role, and there are a lot of moving parts.

Panic might be too strong a word for most fans. After all, neither of the past two championships were won under perfect roster or health circumstances. Dave Roberts' Dodgers have simply found a way to win with their outstanding depth, talent, and experience over the last two years.

Plenty of observers feel comfortable predicting that the Dodgers' stunning rotation will carry the team, while their offense contains just enough talent to push this group to its third title. There might not be widespread panic (the level is low or medium), but there's definitely not widespread confidence, either.

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