The Dodgers are NL West champions again, and now they’re eyeing a three-peat despite injury concerns

The Los Angeles Dodgers secured their fifth consecutive NL West championship and 13th in the past 14 seasons with an 8-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts emphasized that this achievement is significant and not just a routine task, acknowledging the team's pride while recognizing it's not the ultimate goal.

The Dodgers are on pace for their 14th consecutive postseason appearance, tying the Atlanta Braves’ record from 1991-2005. Currently, they are chasing the top seed in the National League, which is held by the Milwaukee Brewers. Coming into the game, Los Angeles led the Braves by 3.5 games in the standings, but they are now trailing the Brewers by the same margin.

The Dodgers aim to become the first team to win three consecutive World Series titles since the Yankees did it from 1998 to 2000, a feat they are currently one-fourth of the way to accomplishing. This season, the team's goal is to get all of its players back to full health. Starting with four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, who has been on the 15-day injured list since September 8 due to right biceps inflammation and has since taken tentative steps, the Dodgers hope he will return as a hitter before the end of the regular season.

However, his full recovery and readiness for October remain unclear. Roki Sasaki, sidelined with a blister on his middle finger, has had a productive batting practice session, and his return will likely be a start. Meanwhile, Blake Snell left Wednesday's game after just one inning due to left groin tightness, leaving his participation in future games uncertain.

Meanwhile, closer Edwin Diaz, who has been dealing with neck inflammation since August, is expected to be activated on Friday. Setup man Edgardo Henriquez, who has been on the injured list with lower back discomfort, had an MRI on Wednesday revealing a low back strain, and his rehabilitation will be paused for a few days. First baseman Freddie Freeman, who has been struggling with right knee soreness, returned to the lineup on Tuesday and ended a three-game hitting slump with three hits, followed by two more hits on Thursday.

The trade deadline brought the biggest move of the season as the Dodgers acquired two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers. Skubal has been impressive with a 3-2 record and a 2.52 ERA in eight starts for the Dodgers. The team's performance has cooled since the All-Star break, going from a 61-36 record to a 31-24 mark.

Dodgers manager Roberts pointed out that the team needs to improve in capitalizing on their opportunities, specifically by not leaving runners on base and not striking out when there are runners in scoring position.