What's in store for the Dodgers in the second half? Here are 10 storylines to watch

After entering the All-Star break on a 1-6 skid that soured an otherwise successful opening half to the season, the Dodgers resume play Friday night with a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox.

At the outset of the second half, the Dodgers’ World Series aspirations remain intact, but their route to get there is littered with question marks and uncertainties. As the season starts up again, here are 10 storylines to follow.

Can the pitching rotation improve?

There’s no sugarcoating the Dodgers’ starting pitching problems .

Since Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s shoulder injury on June 15 , the rotation has a 5.58 earned-run average, fourth worst in the majors. It has averaged fewer than five innings per start, barely covering more innings than the bullpen. And the last time a starter earned a win was Gavin Stone’s shutout on June 26 — a full 15 games ago.

The core issue has been injuries, with Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow , Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw all sidelined. The team is hoping to get them back this season (as well as Bobby Miller, who was demoted to the minor leagues after struggling in his return from a shoulder injury). But in the meantime, the staff is running on fumes. And there are plenty of questions about who the Dodgers will be able to rely on come October.

What can be done at the trade deadline?

Typically, a trade would be the easiest way for the Dodgers to rectify their pitching woes. This year, however, few impact pitchers are likely to be available — and those who are will come at a steep cost.

American League Cy Young front-runner Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers has been linked to the Dodgers. But he has 2½ years of club control remaining, so there is doubt around the industry about whether he will be moved. Even if he is, it could result in a dizzying bidding war, in which the Dodgers would have stiff competition from other pitching-hungry, prospect-heavy contenders — most notably, the Baltimore Orioles.

The Dodgers also have interest in Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet, but he would come with limitations on his workload since he’s already almost doubled his previous career high for innings. White Sox teammate Erick Fedde, Detroit’s Jack Flaherty and Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi are other options, but they would be more of mid-rotation additions.

The Dodgers also will seek lineup upgrades , either in the form of a big splash (White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. is on their radar) or more marginal moves (Tommy Pham of the White Sox or Jesse Winker of Washington also could provide outfield depth).

What is clear: A blockbuster move will be difficult to execute, and very easily could cost more than the Dodgers are willing to spend.

If Kershaw returns, how productive can he be?

Despite recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Kershaw again is emerging as a potentially important part of the Dodgers’ plans.

The three-time Cy Young winner could complete a minor-league rehab assignment as soon as Friday. He could be back in the rotation in the next couple of weeks.

The Dodgers didn’t enter the year expecting to rely on the 36-year-old left-hander. But given their pitching problems, they are desperately awaiting his return — even if it’s unclear exactly how productive he will be coming off the first surgery of his career.

Can Stone maintain the growth he's shown?

A bright spot on the pitching staff has been Stone, whose 9-3 record and 3.26 ERA has put him in the National League rookie of the year race.

What the Dodgers are more interested in, though, is seeing Stone continue to hone his ability to limit hard contact and get swings and misses when needed. If he can keep this form, it could make him a legitimate option to start playoff games — and the Dodgers don’t have many options at the moment.

Can the aces get healthy?

Entering the season, the Dodgers were planning to lean on Glasnow and Yamamoto as the aces of their rotation. Now they simply are hoping for both to be healthy by the playoffs.

Glasnow is expected to return from his minor back injury next week, but is quickly approaching his previous career high for innings and will have a limited workload the rest of the season.

Yamamoto started throwing again in recent weeks, but his strained rotator cuff figures to keep him out for at least another month — leaving precious little time for him to regain his strong early-season form before the postseason.

Can Ohtani make a case for a third MVP?

A more enjoyable story for the Dodgers to follow will be Shohei Ohtani as he tries to become just the second player to win most valuable player in both the National and American leagues (Frank Robinson did it in the 1960s).

Ohtani, a two-time AL MVP with the Angels , is leading the NL in home runs (29), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.035) and wins above replacement (5.2, per Fangraphs). He is second in batting (.316), third in RBIs (69) and third in stolen bases (23).

One area in which Ohtani could boost his MVP chances is situational hitting, as he is batting just .233 with runners in scoring position.

Where does Betts play when he returns?

Amid the Dodgers’ recent scuffles, Mookie Betts’ absence at the top of the lineup has loomed large.

Out since mid-June because of a broken hand , Betts is progressing in his rehab and still appears on track to be back by late July or early August.

A big question when he returns: Will he go back to shortstop, where he started this season and has been taking grounders lately? Or shift to second base, clearing the way for resurgent veteran Miguel Rojas to be the primary shortstop ?

Is Muncy coming back?

Another player the Dodgers could use is third baseman Max Muncy, who has been out more than two months because of an oblique strain.

Muncy’s recovery process repeatedly has been delayed by lingering discomfort in his oblique, where the entire muscle was affected, he said, not just an isolated area.

The Dodgers remain hopeful he can return this season. But the longer he remains out, the less that looks like a guarantee.

In Muncy’s absence, the Dodgers haven’t found much consistent production at third. And if his status doesn’t improve in the next couple of weeks, it could make another infield addition a bigger deadline need.

Can the bottom half be more productive?

More than any other group of players, the Dodgers will need a better second-half performance from their bottom-half hitters in the lineup .

That includes Gavin Lux (who could be squeezed out of regular playing time if Betts returns as the second baseman), Kiké Hernández and Chris Taylor (who have filled in for Muncy at third), and Jason Heyward (who was in a deep slump before going on the injured list shortly before the break).

Deadline additions could help. Continued production from young outfielders Andy Pages and Miguel Vargas will be key too. But the Dodgers are too top heavy offensively — an issue that could cause problems in October.

Is the top playoff seed in the NL realistic?

While the Dodgers have a seven-game lead in the NL West, the race for a first-round bye will be more compelling over the final couple of months.

Entering the break, the team was second in the NL — the league’s top two division winners earn a bye to the division series — with a one-game lead over Milwaukee.

Tracking down Philadelphia for the top seed, and potential home-field advantage in the NL Championship Series, will be a taller task. After dropping six of seven before the break, including three straight in Philadelphia, the Dodgers are 6½ games back of the top spot.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .