It's unsurprising that the always-injured Dodgers had two players undergo offseason surgeries that are almost guaranteed to delay their starts in 2026. Tommy Edman had in issue with his ankle that he had taken care of; Kiké Hernández fixed his elbow. Hernández still isn't officially a Dodger, but bringing him back on a one-year deal when he's healthy is basically set in stone, given their history.
Edman and Hernández's murky timelines (Edman will probably be back within the first month of the season and Hernández in the summer, but there are no guarantees) left the Dodgers with a need for more bench depth.