Michael Grove of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts as he comes off the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning trailing the Cincinnati Reds 7-0 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on July 30, 2023. (Photo credit: Harry Howe/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES — At 6-foot-5 and weighing 270 pounds, Lance Lynn is a big man, but he doesn’t seem big enough to fill a gaping hole in the Dodgers’ starting rotation.

While pitchers Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery switch teams and the New York Mets search for a place where they can offload Justin Verlander and his expensive contract, the Dodgers’ obvious needs are once again all over the place. Appeared.

Rookie right-hander Michael Grove allowed three runs in the first inning and three home runs in the next two as the Dodgers lost 9-0 to the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday afternoon.

The trade deadline (Tuesday 3:00 p.m. PT) will be past by the time the Dodgers hit the field again Tuesday night. So far, they’ve acquired Quique Hernandez and Amed Rosario to help attack against lefties, Joe Kelly to bolster the bullpen, and are ready for October. It’s nibbling on the edge of the roster, acquiring Lynn to help with the far-fetched rotation.

“I think we’ve been candid in saying that there’s always room for improvement in the pitching staff,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So we’re going to keep using what we have until we have more — whenever that happens. That’s kind of the way we think.”

Lynn makes his Dodgers debut on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Clayton Kershaw is expected to be off the injured list for at least another week. Roberts said Kershaw will again throw at hitters in a simulated game setting on Thursday, with his return delayed until at least the series (August 8-9) in Arizona.

“I think help is always a good thing,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said of the possibility of making more moves before the deadline. “But I think our starter is probably better than what the numbers show.”

Numbers are not pretty. The Dodgers have lost 5 of their last 7 games (4 of 6 at this homestand), conceded 46 points in 7 games, and trailed by multiple points at some point in 6 of 7 games.

“I think sometimes when you find yourself behind the 8-ball at the start, it can get a little overwhelming. It was the same today,” Roberts said.

“Sometimes it was a little difficult to get off to a good start.”

On Sunday, Grove replaced the pitching staff for six innings, allowing eight runs on 10 hits and posting career highs in pitches pitched (96) and strikeouts (10). This ended July of the starting rotation, which recorded an ERA of 6.18 in 23 games in the same month.

“In terms of ERA, that’s a big number. It’s not sustainable,” Roberts said.

Sure, it’s a big number.

It’s the best month since the team moved to Los Angeles and the second-highest month in franchise history (at least 15 games), according to MLB.com statistician Sarah Langes.

More lumpy news – Smith left Sunday’s game early after being hit by a pitch in his left elbow. X-ray results were negative, and Smith said he plans to play Tuesday.

JD Martinez presents an even more vexing problem. He was pinch-hittered before his first at-bat on Sunday, but is still plagued with a left hamstring problem that missed two games earlier in the week. Roberts said he was scheduled to undergo an MRI.

“There’s something in the groin area. “He couldn’t run[on Sunday]he couldn’t swing the bat. I don’t know the answer[for how long he’ll be out].”

The offense, which averaged 5.8 points per game in July, would not be as successful without three of its four All-Stars, with Mookie Betts missing two games in a row with an ankle injury. The Dodgers had just five hits against Reds starter Graham Ashcraft and had no runners beyond second base after the fourth inning.

It wasn’t a problem until then.

The Reds’ first four hitters reached base against Grove. Three of those scored and quickly pushed the Dodgers to a 3-0 hole. Ellie de la Cruz caught the glove very deep (418 feet) in the second inning. Matt McLain and Joey Votto hit home runs in the third inning.

It was a two-run day for Votto, but in the fifth inning, center fielder James Outman jumped up and stole the ball over the wall.

“I think we had some good pitches in the spurt portion today,” Grove said. “The slider was good, but the cutter wasn’t good. He left the pitch outside the plate and was penalized.”

Grove recently added the cutting fastball to his repertoire as a way to keep and attack left-handed hitters. It was lefties Dela Cruz, Votto, Jake Fraley and TJ Friedl who did the most damage against Globe Sunday.

“It was just left on a plate,” Grove said. “There was no sharpness, especially against players who hit the ball well in the inside half. It is.”