At the conclusion of the regular season, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team gained some clarity on forthcoming decisions for their National League Division Series roster. With that, however, Roberts anticipated plenty of debate and difficult resolutions lied ahead.
While the bulk of that may lie within the bullpen and whether to carry an extra reliever or pinch-runner extraordinaire Tim Locastro, it also appears one spot may boil down to Andre Ethier or Joc Pederson.
“We’re still kind of deliberating,” said Roberts when questioned on Ethier’s outlook. “Obviously, we like the quality when he gets in the box. He’s done it over the last couple of years in his career.
“To say definitively he’s on the roster, we’re not going to do that. But we see him as a bat off the bench.”
Just like last season, Ethier is attempting to join the Dodgers in the playoffs despite missing the first five months.
In 2016, he was sidelined by a spiral fracture in his left tibia that proved more complex and serious than initially believed. This season, the veteran outfielder fell victim to a herniated disc in his lower back.
Albeit in a small sample size, Ethier was easily the Dodgers’ most productive left fielder over the final month of the regular season. He went 8-for-34 with one double, two home runs, three RBI, four walks and 10 strikeouts in 22 games, making eight starts.
Despite the success, Roberts previously eliminated Ethier as a candidate to fill a starting role. Whether it was for the remaining weeks in the regular season or playoffs.
Pederson lost the starting job in center field to Chris Taylor, and eventually a roster spot once the Dodgers traded for Curtis Granderson. Pederson spent one month with Triple-A Oklahoma City before rejoining the Dodgers.
“He’s done some good things,” Roberts said of Pederson. “Joc obviously can help us in a lot of different ways — playing defense, bat off the bench, can run. For Joc, right now, the role would be a left-handed bat off the bench.”
Pederson appeared in 15 games (six starts) after getting recalled. He went just 4-for-22 (.182 batting average) with a .357 on-base percentage and .273 slugging. Pederson did end the season on a positive note, hitting a pair of RBI doubles upon entering off the bench in Sunday’s game.
The Dodgers have until Friday morning to finalize any NLDS roster decisions.
