With the 2016 regular season now in the books, the Los Angeles Dodgers have some tough decisions to make by Friday morning regarding their roster for the National League Division Series.
While most spots have already been occupied, there are still a few openings for players who remain on the bubble — especially on the pitching side.
Let’s look back at how each player fared since the beginning of September and review their chances of making the roster.
Trending Down
Jesse Chavez: Acquired at the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline for middle relief help, Chavez saw his stock plummet as of late.
He pitched to a 5.63 ERA and even worse 5.90 FIP in eight innings — opening the door for other right-handed options to potentially pass him on the depth chart.
Louis Coleman: Coleman returned to the Dodgers in September after a disabled list stint and struggled mightily.
In 6.2 frames, he posted a 10.80 ERA which matched his walks per nine innings rate and was ultimately worth -0.4 fWAR during the span.
Jose De Leon: With the exception of an impressive debut, De Leon experienced growing pains during the month of September.
Over 17 innings pitched (four starts), he put up a 6.35 ERA and 6.97 FIP, behind an unsightly 2.65 home runs per nine innings ratio. He was once in the running for the final spot in the starting rotation, but better options have emerged.
Kiké Hernandez: The versatile utility player continued his season-long struggles in September, batting .190/.277/.310 (64 wRC+) in 47 plate appearances. His postseason spot is especially in jeopardy, given Joc Pederson’s recent starts against left-handed pitching.
Adam Liberatore: It doesn’t bode well for Liberatore, who only accumulated 4.2 innings over the last month of the season. The high-leverage situations for left-handed relievers typically went to Grant Dayton, who is a lock to make the NLDS roster.
Not only that, but Liberatore posted terrible results in his limited amount of appearances, including a 7.71 ERA and 5.08 FIP.
Brandon McCarthy: Only logging 5.1 innings since returning from his second sint on disabled list, it is highly unlikely McCarthy will be included on the NLDS roster.
He posted mixed results in two appearances and likely doesn’t have a spot in either the rotation or bullpen.
Rob Segedin: After an impressive first week in the Majors, Segedin has since cooled off.
In 28 plate appearances, he posted a slash line of .167/.286/.292 with a 64 wRC+. It wasn’t likely he would make the NLDS roster anyway, but a strong showing would’ve at least garnered consideration.
Trending Up
Luis Avilan: The left-handed specialist has come on strong since rejoining the Dodgers in September. In eight innings, he did not allow a run and will seriously challenge other left-handed options for a spot in October.
Charlie Culberson: It was an excellent month for Culberson, who hit a walk-off home run against his former team, the Colorado Rockies, in the final home game of the regular season.
Not only did that round-tripper clinch the NL West for the Dodgers, but it also gave Vin Scully one last memorable call in Los Angeles.
Overall, Culberson hit .375/.375/.542 (150 wRC+) in 24 plate appearances and should be in the running for the final utility spot on the NLDS roster.
Josh Fields: Fields quietly dominated the opposition over the final month of the regular season, posting a 0.93 ERA in 9.2 innings. With Chavez and Coleman both ending their year on bad notes, it won’t be too surprising if he claims a spot in the postseason bullpen.
J.P. Howell: The veteran didn’t allow a run in September, but only logged 3.2 innings during the entire month. As in Liberatore’s case, Howell was passed over by the likes of Avilan and Dayton and certainly isn’t guaranteed that he’ll be active in October.
Ross Stripling: The swingman enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign and is slated to the make the NLDS roster because of his ability to log quality innings when called upon. In September, Stripling posted a solid 3.06 ERA in 17.2 innings.
Julio Urias: Because of many injuries surrounding the starting rotation, Urias will likely start Game 4 (should there be one). Over the last month of the regular season, he pitched to a terrific 1.93 ERA in 14 innings (four appearances).
Alex Wood: Since returning from the disabled list, Wood has tossed four scoreless innings with four strikeouts to just one walk. Given his success before and after his injury, he has a strong chance of continuing his season in October.
Honorable Mentions
Brett Anderson: The lefty posted a 4.91 ERA and slightly better 4.24 FIP over two games (7.1 innings) dating back to early September. Because of ineffectiveness and durability concerns, Anderson will likely be left off the roster.
Scott Kazmir: It was a disappointing end to Kazmir’s season, who only logged an inning over the last month of play due to multiple injuries. With his health in question, it’s unlikely the team will include him in their October plans.
Brock Stewart: The rookie finished his season strong, pitching to a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings since rosters expanded in September. However, it doesn’t seem likely Stewart will advance to the postseason, due to the abundance of other options.
