It’s no surprise that the Los Angeles Dodgers are having a disappointing season.  With a stacked roster and ridiculously high payroll, the Dodgers were expected to be in contention in the NL West; instead they are in last place with a 27-33 record and seven and a half games back.  But, wait, it gets worse for the Dodgers. Their star outfielder, Matt Kemp, was placed on the disabled list with a strained hamstring.  So, what does this all mean for the Dodgers?  Are their playoff hopes gone?

Kemp was batting .251 with two homeruns and 17 RBI’s before heading to the DL; not the numbers they’d like to see from Kemp, but having him in the lineup is important for the Dodgers.  Now, they called up Yasiel Puig, who has been a spark for LA.  He hit two homeruns in his second major league game and hit a grand slam on Thursday night; pretty impressive.  Puig is only the second player since 1990 to hit four homeruns in his first five games.  He hasn’t played in that many games for the Dodgers, but has provided them with some big hits thus far.

The Dodgers record is alarming and concerning at this point in the season.  With a roster including Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Adrian Gonzalez, and Andre Ethier how could they possibly do so poorly this year?  Granted injuries have been a problem, the biggest being Hanley Ramirez who was just activated from the DL on Tuesday, but with the talent this team has they were expected to be in contention and so far haven’t lived up to the hype. 

Kershaw has had a remarkable season so far, but still that isn’t enough to get this team on track and pull some wins together. 

Manager Don Mattingly’s job may be in jeopardy if the Dodgers don’t turn it around soon.  He’s already publicly called out his team and hasn’t handled things in the best way.  This is his last year under contract with the Dodgers which could also play a role in their decision making.  

So, what’s going on in Los Angeles?  Well, the same thing that’s happening in Anaheim with the Angels; the team just isn’t gelling and can’t get anything going.  The All-Star caliber roster and $220 million payroll isn’t cutting it as they just can’t seem to get on a roll. 

Their playoffs hopes are dwindling, but aren’t necessarily gone.  It’s early June, they’re eight games back, but can the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies stay at the top of the division?  Both teams have surprised a lot of people thus far, but will they still be at the top of the NL West come September?  Maybe, maybe not.  If the Dodgers want to make a run for the playoffs they’ll have to do better than going 5-5 in their last ten games.  They are doing better as of late, and hopefully , for them, that continues as the season progresses. 

In the game of baseball, anything is possible, but if the Dodgers don’t turn things around by the end of June, their hopes of an NL West crown or playoff appearance will be gone.