The Los Angeles Dodgers concluded the regular season with the top record in baseball and home-field advantage through the World Series. Their National League Division Series begins Friday, Oct. 6, at Dodger Stadium.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts used the weeks leading up to Sunday’s to provide several players with an opportunity to essentially audition for a spot on the team’s postseason roster, which need not be finalized until Friday morning.
After a bullpen game that also saw several players enter off the bench, Roberts said some clarity was reached but the Dodgers still face tough decisions for their NLDS roster, via Spectrum SportsNet LA:
“I think some questions were answered, so there’s going to be some fun debates over the next couple of days. And again, just depending on what happens Wednesday in that Wild Card Game, we can get more finality. Some guys did some good things to state their case, make their case stronger, validate it, or however you want to look at it. No way about it, we’ve got some tough decisions.”
The biggest question marks figure to lie within the bullpen. One option that was eliminated is Luis Avilan, who is nursing a sore shoulder and unavailable for the first round. Also not available is Adrian Gonzalez, as he was shut down due to lingering back soreness.
The group of relievers is in some regard tied to whether Hyun-Jin Ryu or Alex Wood will be tabbed the fourth starter. Beyond that, the Dodgers face a decision with the 25th spot on their playoff roster. Kyle Farmer is being considered as a third catcher, but so too is late arrival Tim Locastro as a pinch-run specialist.
Aside from needing to make final decisions, the Dodgers don’t yet know their opponent. That will become clear Wednesday night, when the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks meet in the NL Wild Card Game.
What is essentially locked in is Clayton Kershaw will start Game 1, which has a scheduled start time of 7:31 p.m. PT at Dodger Stadium.
