Prior to the Los Angeles Dodgers clinching the best record in baseball for home-field advantage through the World Series, they again secured a first-round bye and berth in the National League Division Series.
The 2024 MLB postseason is a third consecutive year with an expanded playoffs format that allows for three Wild Card teams. The Dodgers have avoided playing in a Wild Card Series every season, though they haven’t capitalized on a perceived benefit of avoiding the extra games in October.
Last year the Dodgers took a more deliberate approach in effort to increase the level of intensity in their NLDS workouts.
Prior to beginning the 2024 NLDS, manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers now plan to give players the option of taking Tuesday off before beginning full preparations, via SportsNet LA:
“We’re going to take two days off, essentially. The first day is going to be off; Jack (Flaherty) is going to be the only person that throws. He’s going to be throwing to some Minor League hitters. And then the second day is going to be completely optional.
“For me, I just want to encourage guys to stay away and then come back hungry, excited to get back to work. I just feel they’ve played a lot of baseball this year, so three days should be plenty of time to get the pitchers (ready), do some sim games, some live BPs, some grounders and get ramped up for that Saturday game.”
In the two years past, the Dodgers began NLDS preparations in earnest after taking just one day off from the regular season. Roberts believes given how the NL West unfolded with a late race this season, the chance for players to initially reset could prove beneficial.
But Roberts also added he does not see much of a connection between how the bye week is filled with postseason performance:
“I do think there is something you can do with the mindset right before that first pitch is thrown, once the playoffs start. There has to be the ultimate sense of urgency, and I just don’t think that has much correlation to the work prior. It’s an overall team mindset that I want to make sure we have going into this postseason.”
The Dodgers aren’t alone in struggling to overcome the postseason bye, as only the Houston Astros and New York Yankees have advanced past the Division Series under the current format. That occurred for both teams in 2022, when the Astros went on to win the World Series.
No team that earned an immediate berth in the NLDS won the best-of-five matchup.
2024 Dodgers NLDS schedule
Saturday, Oct. 5: Game 1, Dodger Stadium
Sunday, Oct. 6: Game 2, Dodger Stadium
Tuesday, Oct. 8: Game 3, TBD
Wednesday, Oct. 9: Game 4*, TBD
Friday, Oct. 11: Game 5*, Dodger Stadium
All start times are still to be determined
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