The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing October baseball for the 12th consecutive year, and it’s their third season in a row earning a first-round bye through an automatic berth into the National League Division Series.
That’s proven to be somewhat problematic in years past, but the Dodgers adjusted their NLDS workout schedule this year and stand to benefit from the five-day layoff given their injuries. That extra time also helps allow for plenty of conversations when it comes to making Dodgers postseason roster decisions.
“We’ll talk through that over the coming days, kind of see what comes out of the Wild Card round and keep talking,” general manager Brandon Gomes said on a video call Wednesday.
“I think we have good options, whether it’s going with the extra pitcher, or one fewer pitcher and an extra position player. We just kind of need to discuss that more as a group, and we plan on doing that the next couple days.”
Despite the NLDS only being a best-of-five series, conventional wisdom is the Dodgers will carry the maximum 13 pitchers permitted. Particularly with some of the questions still surrounding their starting rotation.
“It certainly depends on the matchup,” manager Dave Roberts said of the Dodgers’ postseason roster construction. “Obviously, there’s a few position players we’ve got to kind of talk through and that also is dependent on the matchup and what we might use versus a ‘pen.
“And then also with the pitching and who’s available as far as relievers that we feel might match up with a potential opponent. These are things that we’re going to have some surface-level conversations here shortly and then kind of figure out where we go from there.”
The Dodgers postseason roster for the NLDS consisted of 13 pitchers and 13 players each of the last two years. The Dodgers went with 12 pitchers and 14 position players for the 2021 NLDS.
Prior to current MLB roster rules for the playoffs being put into place, the Dodgers carried 14 pitchers and 14 position players in the 2020 NLDS.
The Dodgers postseason roster for the NLDS does not need to be officially set until the morning of Game 1 on Saturday.
Projected Dodgers NLDS roster
Pitchers (13): Anthony Banda, Ryan Brasier, Walker Buehler, Jack Flaherty, Edgardo Henriquez, Daniel Hudson, Joe Kelly, Landon Knack, Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Catchers (2): Austin Barnes, Will Smith
Designated hitter (1): Shohei Ohtani
Infielders (5): Freddie Freeman, Kiké Hernández, Gavin Lux, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas
Outfielders (5): Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Chris Taylor
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