Dodgers Andrew Friedman addresses Shohei Ohtanis

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman all but confirmed Wednesday that the workforce can be in contact with the Tigers to gauge their asking price for reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

“There just aren’t that many star-level players in the game,” Friedman said Wednesday afternoon when requested how aggressive the Dodgers can be in pursuing big-name gamers. “Any time one is available, we’re always going to participate in those conversations. We’ve shown to be very aggressive in the past. … We’ve traded a lot of really talented young players.

“But we’re able to be in those conversations because of the incredible work by our scouts and our front office and our player development group that has our farm system in such a strong spot to be able to talk to any team basically about any player.”

All that was anticipated. Checking in is just due diligence.

Friedman averted exhibiting his hand when requested the chances of the Dodgers (68-40) buying a participant like that at the Aug. 3 deadline.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not in the handicapping business.”

Part of the calculation, with the Tigers on a skid that may push them to promote at the deadline, would be the health of the Dodgers’ pitching workers, which is steadily enhancing. So, instead of attempting to fill particular holes, the Dodgers have the luxurious of studying the market and being “a little bit more selective and opportunistic.”

Before the Dodgers’ 4-2 win against the Mariners on Wednesday, they activated nearer Edwin Díaz and designated left-hander Charlie Barnes for task. Díaz earned the save in his first major-league look since present process surgical procedure to take away free our bodies from his elbow in late April, giving up two hits and a run.

Right-handed starter Tyler Glasnow (back spasms) threw two innings of live batting apply Wednesday afternoon, and right-handed reliever Blake Treinen (proper elbow inflammation) threw one simulated inning.

Over in Class A Ontario, left-hander Blake Snell (arthroscopic elbow surgical procedure) hit his goal of 4 innings and gave up just one hit in what could possibly be his last rehab start before being reinstated from the IL, although Friedman said the workforce was still speaking through the next steps.

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s timeline back to the mound is the most important unknown, but Friedman insisted that his lingering knee injury didn’t change the Dodgers’ analysis of its rotation heading into the deadline.

“I don’t think it puts it in an acute need at all,” Friedman said. “We’re confident he’s going to come back. Again, if there was something structural, then we would be much more concerned with that. But there’s not. And the fact that it does keep improving suggests that we’re on the right path and feel very confident that he will be back.

“And then that’s also where it gets to the depth that we have and the talented arms that have stepped up with some of our injuries, that we feel like deserved an opportunity to keep going. So it just doesn’t fall into acute. That being said, we’re always open-minded to different things.”

Friedman also supplied some insight on Ohtani’s proper biceps injury, which he first publicly acknowledged on July 3 and that he said Tuesday evening was not 100%. Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a recreation since that July 3 start, when the biceps issue flared in his last at-bat.

“If it weren’t for the knee, he would be pitching right now, he would be making his regular turn [in the rotation],” Friedman said. “We kept the arm going. Does he feel 100% in his arm? No. But neither does any pitcher in late July. But this is around the knee and making sure that we can get it to a place where there’s just no compensation. So exactly when that is, I’m not sure. But I feel confident that relatively soon, he’s going to start getting out and start ramping up for catch play and bullpens and getting him back.”

Ohtani’s timeline, however, hasn’t progressed the best way the Dodgers initially anticipated since receiving an Orthovisc injection to lubricate his knee at the start of the All-Star break. They’d hoped he’d return to the rotation in its first prove of the break. Instead, he threw a bullpen in Philadelphia last week, and then his throwing program stalled.

He’s been throwing weighted plyo balls to keep his arm strength up without aggravating his knee.

It’s also unclear what model of Ohtani the Dodgers will get when he returns to the mound.

“There’s no question it got significantly better,” Ohtani said in Japanese of the consequences of the injection. “But after talking with the doctors, I don’t think it’s realistic to expect the pain to be zero. That may end up being something that has to wait until the offseason. In the meantime, I’ll keep working through my rehab program and try to get it as close to zero [pain] as possible.”

While taking part in through the knee injury, and looking out for a mechanical adjustment to take some strain off it, Ohtani’s execution has wavered. He had a 4.38 ERA in his last 4 begins, in contrast to 0.74 in his first 10.

“I think it speaks to the knee and the delivery and just the challenge of repeating it over and over and over again,” Friedman said, “and more speaks to why we are doing this and making sure that we get it calmed down and in a good spot so he can repeat. Then I’ll bet on him to execute.”

There’s an argument to be made that the best-case situation for the Dodgers can be for the Tigers to maintain on to Skubal, but time is working out for them to transfer up in the wild-card race.

The worst-case situation can be for him to land with a National League rival. But Friedman said he’s never orchestrated a commerce merely to block a fellow contender.

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts dives for a ball hit by Seattle’s Cole Young.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“It’s so hard to line up on a trade to begin with,” he said. “If I was so concerned about a player going to another team, I’d probably want that player and then I would just acquire that player.”

Most commerce deadline strikes come together late, so a lot may occur in the approaching days to outline the Dodgers’ direction.

“Feel really good about the talent base we have in place, not just on field but also how the group meshes together,” Friedman said. “And so like always, we’re gonna be thoughtful and careful about what we potentially add to that dynamic.”

Lauer impresses

Left-hander Eric Lauer put together his best start as a Dodger on Wednesday, limiting the Mariners to 4 baserunners — one error, one hit batter, one single and one stroll, while recording 4 strikeouts — through six scoreless innings.

“It definitely feels good to feel like myself again, not go out there and kind of wonder how today is going to go,” said Lauer, who had a bumpy start to the 12 months with the Blue Jays. “I go out there confident, feeling good, feeling prepared every time. So to see the success follow has been really good.”

The Dodgers, in need of rotation help in mid-May after a string of accidents, traded for Lauer when the Blue Jays designated him for task. They have gained all 9 video games he’s pitched. So, naturally, his identify has been bandied about in the news as a potential commerce goal.

“My wife hates it,” Lauer quipped. “It’s something that I was aware of coming over here, that it might be a rental thing. … But, I mean, I love it here. I think I’m thriving here, as far as I can tell. And I would love to be part of this team.”