The Los Angeles Dodgers first-round postseason matchup is set as they will take on the Washington Nationals beginning Friday, Oct. 7 in the best-of-five National League Division series.
Home-field advantage for that series has not yet been determined, as the Dodgers enter play Tuesday 1.5-games behind the Nationals in the standings. Should the two teams end up with identical records, Los Angeles would get home-field advantage for the series due to winning five of six head-to-head matchups this season.
While the Dodgers are heading into the postseason healthy, barring any injuries over their final six games, the Nationals are dealing with injuries to key contributors.
Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper have missed games recently, and catcher Wilson Ramos suffered a torn ACL on Monday, costing him the remainder of 2016.
The Nationals have also been without starter Stephen Strasburg since Sept. 7, as he strained the flexor mass in his right elbow. While there was hope he’d return in time for playoffs, Strasburg has yet to throw off a mound, and will likely miss the NLDS, perChelsea Janes of the Washington Post:
Rizzo on Strasburg pitching in the NLDS: "would be pushing it…it is unlikely he will be ready to contribute in that series."
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) September 27, 2016
In 24 starts this season, Strasburg is 15-4 with a 3.60 ERA, 2.91 FIP and 1.10 WHIP. He has struck out 183 and walked 44 in 147.2 innings pitched. The Dodgers handed Strasburg his first loss of the season on July 21 when they roughed him up for seven hits and six runs in six innings.
Strasburg did finish with 10 strikeouts in that start, though the loss snapped a historic run. In his last four starts before the injury, Strasburg allowed up 26 hits and 20 runs in 14 innings of work (12.86 ERA).
Without Strasburg, the Nationals, in similar fashion to the Dodgers, face a question mark for a potential fourth starter in the NLDS.
