Dodgers’ planned playoff roster has already taken shape – Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES Now that the Dodgers have secured a playoff berth, it’s customary to view their final regular-season games as an opportunity to refine the roster’s roles in preparation for October.

Throw this custom out the window.

The Dodgers’ starting lineup, rotation, reconciliation and preparation roles are almost limited. Their injury list has been reduced to a player expected to return by the end of the season, outfielder AJ Pollock. The question of who will be in the Dodgers’ 26-player roster in the playoffs is less suspenseful than their pursuit of the San Francisco Giants.

“I think we have a lot of good options,” said manager Dave Roberts. “It’s fun to talk about it, I guess. It always depends on the extra bench player, the relief (pitchers), how you’re going to do it. ”

If Pollock returns next weekend as scheduled, the Dodgers have five clear candidates to complete their bench.

Receiver Austin Barnes and first baseman Albert Pujols are right-handed batsmen. Cody Bellinger and Gavin Lux skillfully filled the outfield on this homestand, perhaps doing enough offensively to start against right-handed pitchers once Pollock and Chris Taylor recovered from their respective injuries. If the Dodgers choose to keep a fifth player on their bench, Matt Beaty thinks he is that player.

Walker Buehler or Max Scherzer will start the first game of the playoffs. Clayton Kershaw – if he continues his progression after an elbow injury – and Julio Urías would follow in a seven-game streak.

Blake Treinen has been Kenley Jansen’s best playmaker since Brandon Morrow in 2017. Joe Kelly is not far behind on the reliever depth chart. Alex Vesia became Roberts’ first choice against left-handed hitters in high leverage late-game situations. Phil Bickford is the best of Andrew Friedman’s many mid-season reliever box acquisitions.

Corey Knebel, David Price, Brusdar Graterol and Tony Gonsolin all have experience coming out of the relieving box in the playoffs. All four can do that if the Dodgers choose to keep 13 pitchers on staff.

INJURY UPDATES

Taylor was available on the bench for the first time since injuring his neck in Friday’s win over the San Diego Padres. Taylor was likely to be on the 10-day injury list on Wednesday if his neck had not improved.

Taylor and Pollock both took part in pre-game batting practice on the field. Pollock, who is expected to play minor league rehab games in Arizona starting next Monday, is a week to 10 days away from joining the major league team, Roberts said.

LINE ‘EM UP

The Cincinnati Reds are among a handful of teams the Dodgers could face in a possible National League wild card game if they don’t win the division. Roberts opted not to mix up his rotation to hide Buehler or Scherzer, one of whom would start the one-game playoffs.