With the beginning of the World Sequence lower than 24 hours away, the Dodgers are within the technique of finalizing their roster as they try and win their first championship in a full season since 1988. Supervisor Dave Roberts spoke to reporters (together with Bob Nightengale of USA Right now) throughout immediately’s scheduled exercise day about among the closing roster selections being made, together with the truth that veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas is “seemingly” to make the ultimate roster.
Rojas, 35, was left off the membership’s NLCS roster amid issues in regards to the adductor pressure and sports activities hernia which have bothered him since late within the common season. Rojas was solely capable of play in three of the membership’s 5 video games in the course of the NLDS in opposition to the Padres and finally went two-for-eight on the plate with two singles throughout that point. Through the common season, nevertheless, Rojas emerged as one of many membership’s steadiest performances after taking up shortstop for Mookie Betts when he was sidelined by a hand fracture again in June. The veteran posted a strong 111 wRC+ total this yr in the course of the common season as he hit .283/.337/.410 in 337 journeys to the plate for the Dodgers.
Getting into this sequence, Rojas gives the Dodgers with further depth off the bench that may very well be useful as they juggle not solely Rojas’s lingering harm woes but in addition these of first baseman Freddie Freeman and another positional accidents that might crop up all through the sequence. Rojas is the membership’s best choice at shortstop defensively, although Tommy Edman held down the place fairly nicely in the course of the NLCS and Enrique Hernandez’s .863 OPS this postseason seemingly warrants consideration for a minimum of some taking part in time as nicely.
It appears seemingly all three gamers shall be within the lineup at up-the-middle positions in opposition to southpaws, although Andy Pages and Chris Taylor each loved strong NLCS performances as nicely. The larger query may very well be whether or not the Dodgers stick to a trio of Edman, Rojas, and Hernandez in opposition to right-handers or bench certainly one of Rojas or Hernandez in favor of lefty-swinging second baseman Gavin Lux, who struggled in the course of the NLCS however collected 5 hits (together with a house run) in the course of the division sequence in opposition to San Diego.
Roberts sounded much less sure in regards to the standing of relievers Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol, although appeared optimistic when he informed reporters (together with Nightengale) that each gamers are “trending in the proper path” to make the roster themselves. The addition of a pair of excessive leverage arms like Vesia and Graterol would considerably deepen the Dodgers’ bullpen, although mentioned aid corps did simply wonderful in opposition to the Mets with Michael Kopech, Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, and Daniel Hudson mixing and matching in the course of the late innings.
Vesia, specifically, would add a lefty reliever to that blend who might assist to fight key Yankees hitters like Juan Soto and Anthony Rizzo who bat from the left aspect. The 28-year-old was left off the membership’s NLCS roster as he nursed an intercostal harm however loved a breakout season this yr as he pitched to a glowing 1.76 ERA (219 ERA+) in 66 1/3 innings of labor in the course of the common season whereas hanging out a whopping 33.1% of his opponents. Graterol, in the meantime, missed nearly all the 2024 marketing campaign with accidents however has been a fixture of L.A.’s late inning combine for years now, together with a dominant 2023 season the place he posted a 1.20 ERA (359 ERA+) in 68 appearances. If Vesia and Graterol show to be wholesome sufficient to make the roster, kids Edgardo Henriquez and Ben Casparius may very well be the odd males out.
One reliever who Roberts mentioned received’t be on the membership’s World Sequence roster (as relayed by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic) is right-hander Joe Kelly, who has not but appeared on the membership’s postseason rosters after struggling to a 4.78 ERA and 4.57 FIP in 32 innings of labor this yr. Kelly, 36, has been battling a proper shoulder harm however in response to Roberts may very well be accessible later within the World Sequence as an harm substitute if vital.
Even much less prone to pitch within the World Sequence than Kelly is two-way famous person Shohei Ohtani, who has been restricted to only hitting in his first yr with the Dodgers however resumed a throwing program earlier this yr. Roberts shut down any suggestion that Ohtani might seem out of the bullpen at any level in the course of the sequence immediately, telling reporters (together with Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Instances) that there’s “no risk” of Ohtani pitching in opposition to the Yankees in the course of the Fall Traditional. After all, Ohtani delivered a 50-50 season that’s prone to earn him his third profession MVP trophy and to this point boasts a .286/.434/.500 slash line in the course of the playoffs, so he’s nonetheless offering the Dodgers with loads of worth even with out throwing a single pitch.