Eric Lauer delivered an effective outing for the Los Angeles Dodgers behind an opener against the Minnesota Twins on June 22, 2026, pointing to sharper command and early communication with manager Doc as the keys to his performance.
Lauer acknowledged that his first appearance against the Twins in the 2026 season did not go as planned. "The first one they got me a little bit," he said during a press conference, "so I definitely wanted to make sure I had better command of the zone." He noted that while he did not have his best stuff or his best velocity on June 22, he was still able to command the zone and execute pitches effectively.
Lauer also leaned heavily on the Dodgers' defense as a central part of his approach. "Putting a lot of emphasis on the defense today was a huge part," he explained, "and it's something that we definitely can do because we have a defense that's that good." He added that the work he has done since joining the Dodgers organization plays a significant role in his ability to execute even when he is not at his sharpest.
The pre-game conversation with Doc was a defining element of the outing. Doc communicated the opener plan to Lauer early, and the two exchanged their respective thoughts before arriving at a unified approach. "We kind of had a nice come together of this is the plan, this is what we see, and we're not going to deviate from it," Lauer stated. He made clear that his concern with opener usage is not the concept itself but rather mid-game plan changes, which he described as making preparation and in-game performance considerably harder.
Lauer expressed that having a firm, agreed-upon plan is what allows him to perform at his best. "I just want to be put in a position where I can be at the top of my game so that the team does better," he mentioned, framing the collaborative structure with Doc as directly beneficial to the club's results.