The Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day roster for the 2020 season was officially announced, with the club opting to carry 16 pitchers and 14 position. Manager Dave Roberts had previously indicated the Dodgers were considering having anywhere from 15 to 17 pitchers on the active roster.
In seemingly splitting the difference, the Dodgers have mild surprises on the pitching staff. A.J. Ramos, who impressed in limited stints during Summer Camp, was already ruled out as the team wants to continue working on multiple scenarios at their alternate training site.
Newcomer Jake McGee had a rough appearance against the L.A. Angels, but it was largely attributed to being fresh off a whirlwind stretch in which he drove from Denver to Los Angeles. Roberts said after Tuesday’s game that McGee would be “ready to go” for Opening Day.
The notion that Alexander would make the Opening Day roster was not appearing likely since he reported to camp late. Alexander was expected to appear in at least one exhibition game but never made his way to the mound. Roberts said the Dodgers were going to use a voluntary workout on Wednesday to determine the “best” course of action with the left-hander.
That potentially was one of the final decisions the Dodgers were evaluating. Roberts said earlier this week all but two spots — one in the bullpen and one position player — had been finalized.
Or the final decision could have involved Dustin May, who was optioned. Unless he replaces an injured player, May will need to wait 15 days before being recalled. That would appear to rule him out of a piggyback scenario with Walker Buehler on Tuesday.
On the position player front, Zach McKinstry continued to impress but not to the point where he broke camp with the Dodgers. It stands to reason Terrance Gore was selected over McKinstry.
The Dodgers can keep 30 players on their active roster for two weeks, then will need to trim down to 28. That number will hold for another two weeks before teams will be required to pare their roster to the now-standard 26 players for the remainder of the season. Clubs will be permitted to add a 27th player for doubleheaders.
Complete breakdown of the Dodgers’ 2020 Opening Day roster, with players listed alphabetically
Starting pitchers (5): Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Ross Stripling, Julio Urias, Alex Wood
Relief pitchers (11): Scott Alexander, Pedro Baez, Caleb Ferguson, Dylan Floro, Brusdar Graterol, Kenley Jansen, Joe Kelly, Adam Kolarek, Jake McGee, Dennis Satana, Blake Treinen
Catchers (2): Austin Barnes, Will Smith
Infielders (6): Matt Beaty, Kiké Hernandez, Max Muncy, Edwin Rios, Corey Seager, Justin Turner
Outfielders (6): Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, Terrance Gore, Joc Pederson, AJ Pollock, Chris Taylor
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