Once it was all said and done, the 2019 Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day roster did not include any surprises when the club finalized their 25-man group. Brock Stewart filled the only remaining question as the final piece to the bullpen puzzle.
Upon revealing Caleb Ferguson, Dylan Floro and Yimi Garcia were to be included on the Opening Day roster, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team was looking for length from an eighth relief pitcher.
All indications were the Dodgers came down to deciding between Dennis Santana and Stewart. That it swung in Stewart’s favor always seemed the likely scenario. Neither right-hander fared particularly well during Spring Training, but Stewart has more experience and is not coming off injury.
While the Dodgers’ 25-man roster to start the season was essentially in place before Thursday, that’s not to say it differs from expectations when the team opened camp at Camelback Ranch last month.
Tony Cingrani (left shoulder), Rich Hill (left knee strain) and Clayton Kershaw (left shoulder inflammation) each were placed on the 10-day injured list. The injuries to Kershaw and Hill resulted in Ross Stripling and Julio Urias moving into the starting rotation.
Furthermore, Kershaw’s franchise record of Opening Day starts was snapped at eight.
Included below is a complete breakdown of the Dodgers’ 2019 Opening Day roster, with players listed alphabetically.
Starting pitchers (5): Walker Buehler, Kenta Maeda, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Ross Stripling, Julio Urias
Relief pitchers (8): Scott Alexander, Pedro Baez, Caleb Ferguson, Dylan Floro, Yimi Garcia, Kenley Jansen, Joe Kelly, Brock Stewart
Catchers (2): Austin Barnes, Russell Martin
Infielders (5): David Freese, Max Muncy, Corey Seager, Justin Turner
Outfielders (5): Joc Pederson, A.J. Pollock, Alex Verdugo
Infielders/Outfielders (3): Cody Bellinger, Kiké Hernandez, Chris Taylor
