The Los Angeles Dodgers made an expected change to their postseason roster for the National League Division Series by adding Dylan Floro to give them 14 pitchers against the San Diego Padres.
Keibert Ruiz was dropped as a third catcher in the corresponding move for the addition of Floro, and the Dodgers also swapped Edwin Rios for Gavin Lux. Manager Dave Roberts explained that was due to Rios suffering a left groin injury during Sunday’s workout at Globe Life Field.
“Obviously significant enough for us not to include him on this active roster,” Roberts said. “It’s better [Tuesday] than it was [Monday], so hopefully he’ll just continue to improve. As we get through this series, hopefully he’ll be available for the next one.”
Although Rios is inactive for the NLDS, he is among the 12 players on the Dodgers taxi squad. Rios is joined by Scott Alexander, Rocky Gale, Josiah Gray, Zach McKinstry, DJ Peters, Luke Raley, Ruiz, Dennis Santana, Josh Sborz, Mitch White and Alex Wood.
All but Gale and Gray were on the taxi squad for the Wild Card Series; Floro and Lux were part of that group as well.
The Dodgers can replace an injured player from a member of the taxi squad, however that person would not be eligible to return during the NLDS and also would have to sit out if L.A. advances to the NL Championship Series.
Why did Dodgers drop third catcher for NLDS?
Heading into the postseason, Roberts suggested the team was more likely to carry a third catcher on the playoff roster for the NLDS and ensuing rounds than in the Wild Card Series. Of course, they wound up including Austin Barnes, Will Smith and Ruiz for the best-of-three against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Doing so offered more security when starting Barnes behind the plate and Smith at designated hitter. They again will be in the lineup as such when Clayton Kershaw starts Game 2 of the NLDS, but Roberts felt Terrance Gore offered more upside than a third catcher.
“He can come into play every game potentially,” Roberts said. “We just felt that pinch-runner, Terrance, the dynamic to be implemented or put in a spot of a plus or minus one-run game, a tied game, it just kind of outweighed it (a third catcher). It was a close one.”
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