When Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred imposed a 60-game schedule, it set the stage for what is certain to be one of the most unique seasons in history.
Teams reported for the start of Summer Camp earlier this months, just days after announcing their initial player pools. The Los Angeles Dodgers began a collection of 51 players and strategically added to it until bringing their player pool roster full.
Some members of the group were sent to an alternate training site at USC, while others worked out and participated in intrasquad scrimmages at Dodger Stadium.
Even with David Price opting out of the 2020 season, the Dodgers are flush with star power, depth and promising prospects. While not every member of the player pool will appear at the Major League level this season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is appreciative of the many options he has to choose from when constructing the best possible roster.
“We are very fortunate with our roster that it’s very versatile,” he said. “Our guys, to a man, play both sides of the baseball. So to have that be locked in on one guy who takes that role, I think that kind of puts on arm behind your back.
“Once the schedule comes out, that day’s particular pitcher certainly matters, how guys are feeling after a certain amount of games, all that stuff (will be taken into account). I think we fit that DH situation as well as any team in baseball, in my opinion.”
Roberts already revealed that the Dodgers won’t have a dedicated designated hitter this season, but instead use the lineup spot to rest regular players.
Such a strategy will ensure the club keeps their players healthy and fresh for a potential postseason run that could begin a little over two months from the start of the regular season.
As for the starting staff, Roberts noted the club will deploy a five-man rotation to begin the year. An order to follow Clayton Kershaw has not been formally announced, but is expected to be Ross Stripling, Julio Urias, Alex Wood and Walker Buehler.
AJ Pollock should benefit from universal DH
There is no denying the Dodgers collectively will benefit from a universal DH being implemented for the 2020 season. However, that is specifically true for AJ Pollock, who figures to be among the players rotating at DH.
In doing so, that should aid in keeping Pollock health, and he has proven to be an effective batter against left-handed pitching.
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