With a 16-game lead in the National League West, the Los Angeles Dodgers can afford the luxury to give some of their star players a day off. However, that isn’t their planning just yet.
Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner have already started all 110 of the Dodgers’ games, and that is going to continue until the team officially clinches the division title.
“I know Freddie’s always talked about once we clinch this thing, he would like to have a day off,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So I don’t see 162, and I think Trea will probably be in that same category.”
When Freeman, Turner and Mookie Betts are in the lineup, the Dodgers have gone 66-27 (.710), which would put them on pace for 115 wins. However, Betts has been limited to 93 games and the Dodgers have gone 11-6 (.647) when he isn’t in the lineup.
Still, with an overall record of 77-33 and a magic number of 35, the Dodgers will likely be looking at a mid-September clinch day, which would give Roberts a few weeks’ worth of games to start mixing in rest days before the playoffs begin in early October.
At their current pace, the Dodgers are tracking to break the franchise record for most wins. That currently is 106, which was set by the 2021 team in a hotly-contested NL West rac with the San Francisco Giants.
Dodgers have injury concern with Max Muncy
Max Muncy homered on back-to-back nights and for the third time in the past four games, but left the Dodgers’ 8-3 win over the Minnesota Twins in the bottom of the fifth inning. The decision stemmed from Muncy being hit in the right hand by a one-hopper that resulted in an infield single to load the bases in the top of the fifth.
“We’ll see,” Muncy answered when asked about his hand injury. He added X-rays were negative.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Muncy had trouble swinging the bat, which prompted calling on Hanser Alberto as a pinch-hitter.
“It was just a contusion on his throwing hand,” Roberts said. “X-rays negative, so we have an off day, and we’ll see how he responds on Friday.”
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