Earlier this week Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts took comfort in the position his team was in. Having swept the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Division Series, the Dodgers remained idle for a few days as the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals competed to advance.
Some of the positivity that came with being able to rest and set their starting rotation was washed away Saturday morning when the Dodgers did not include Corey Seager on their NLCS roster because of a lower back strain.
He’d been limited throughout the week due to back trouble and didn’t participate in back-to-back days of workouts. Not having Seager in the lineup — or on the roster for that matter — in some sense neutralizes the advantage the Dodgers held over the Cubs, who played to a Game 5 in the NLDS and experienced travel issues during their overnight flight to Los Angeles.
At the time both League Championship Series were set, the Dodgers held the highest probability to reach and win the World Series.
Now factoring in Seager’s status, the ZiPS analytical model gives the Cubs marginally better chances at winning each game but now overall tilts the series in their favor, via ESPN’s Dan Szymborski:
A sore right elbow slowed Seager and limited to pinch-hit duty for a stretch in August and into September. Over the past two seasons, the Dodgers are 19-21 without their All-Star shortstop in the lineup.
Charlie Culberson was added to the NLCS roster in Seager’s absence. Culberson, Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor each fielded grounders at shortstop while Seager was held out of NLCS workouts.
