This story was excerpted from Sonja Chen’s Dodgers Beat publication. To learn the total publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it often in your inbox.
We’re barely every week into August, so it appears like a little bit of a idiot’s errand to look two months into the longer term and mission how the Dodgers would possibly assemble their postseason roster. Nonetheless, that’s the psychological train I am selecting to work by way of.
Now that the Commerce Deadline has handed, we’ve got a reasonably good thought of who might be within the group when the calendar flips to October and the Dodgers need to determine which 26 gamers to hold for the ultimate stage of their three-peat bid.
Essentially the most sophisticated facet of that is well being. The Dodgers expect Shohei Ohtani (left knee soreness) to pitch once more and Will Smith (infected disc in neck) to return from a months-long absence, however it’s troublesome to foretell precisely what occurs with both earlier than they make extra significant progress. And people are simply two of a number of accidents impacting L.A.
With that mentioned, I am going to method this from two angles: One roster that is as near full power because the Dodgers may very well be by season’s finish, and one roster that will be life like if the season have been over now. By evaluating the 2, we are able to get a way of a few of the greatest questions for L.A. down the stretch.
Every 26-man roster may have 14 place gamers and 12 pitchers, simply because the Dodgers constructed their roster throughout final 12 months’s World Collection. As a reminder, Ohtani doesn’t depend towards their allotment of pitchers due to his two-way participant standing.
Beginning 9: Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Kyle Tucker, Shohei Ohtani
Bench/utility: Ben Rortvedt, Dalton Speeding, Miguel Rojas, Kiké Hernández, Alex Name
Rotation: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, Ohtani
Bullpen: Edwin Díaz, Tanner Scott, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, Justin Wrobleski, Jack Dreyer, Edgardo Henriquez, Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia
Be aware: Supervisor Dave Roberts will discover methods to get Kiké Hernández into his beginning lineups, however he isn’t listed among the many beginning 9 as a result of the positions he performs might be fluid.
Beginning 9: Rortvedt, Freeman, Edman, Betts, Muncy, T. Hernández, Pages, Tucker, Ohtani
Bench/utility: Hunter Feduccia, Alex Freeland, Rojas, Ok. Hernández, Name
Rotation: Yamamoto, Skubal, Snell, Glasnow
Bullpen: Díaz, Scott, Sasaki, Wrobleski, Dreyer, Henriquez, Phillips, Vesia
Be aware: Whereas Snell and Glasnow are nonetheless on the IL, each are shut sufficient to rejoining the crew that they might doubtless be included on the roster if the postseason have been about to start.
Will Ohtani be obtainable as a pitcher?
The Dodgers consider he might be, and the plan is for him to start taking part in catch once more this week. However there’s a legit query of how built-up he can be, even in that best-case state of affairs. As soon as he will get to the purpose of increase in video games, he’ll doubtless need to take it an inning at a time, much like what he did final 12 months in his return from a second main elbow surgical procedure. At finest, it appears like he may very well be a multi-inning opener through the postseason, maybe piggybacking with Glasnow or one other of the starters who might shift to the ‘pen.
Which catchers might be obtainable, and in what capability?
Smith’s standing is the most important storyline right here. If he’s full-go, then the Dodgers do not actually have to fret about who’s backing him up — simply that they’ve a second catcher in case one thing goes improper. The information that Speeding is unlikely to catch once more this season makes it a near-certainty that Rortvedt or Feduccia will make a postseason roster. However there stays an opportunity that Speeding will be capable to return as an impression lefty bat on a righty-heavy bench.
Who rounds out the pitching employees?
The Dodgers will carry the most effective pitchers they’ve, no matter position. That might imply that starters resembling Glasnow, Sasaki and Wrobleski ought to all make the roster, even when they don’t seem to be wanted to begin video games. All three have various expertise in reduction, having pitched in that capability final postseason. Then there is a query of which relievers make the roster, as the one true locks really feel like Díaz, Scott and Vesia.
Will there be any shock additions?
Who anticipated Justin Dean to make each postseason roster final 12 months? Maybe the Dodgers might make an analogous transfer this 12 months, together with a dynamic runner or defender to be a task participant.
