With the beginning of the World Collection lower than 24 hours away, the Dodgers are within the strategy of finalizing their roster as they try to 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 at present’s scheduled exercise day about a number of 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 in a position to play in three of the membership’s 5 video games through the NLDS towards the Padres and in the end went two-for-eight on the plate with two singles throughout that point. In the course of 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+ general this yr through the common season as he hit .283/.337/.410 in 337 journeys to the plate for the Dodgers.
Getting into this collection, Rojas supplies the Dodgers with extra depth off the bench that might 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 would crop up all through the collection. Rojas is the membership’s most suitable choice at shortstop defensively, although Tommy Edman held down the place fairly nicely through the NLCS and Enrique Hernandez’s .863 OPS this postseason seemingly warrants consideration for no less than some enjoying time as nicely.
It appears seemingly all three gamers will likely be within the lineup at up-the-middle positions towards southpaws, although Andy Pages and Chris Taylor each loved strong NLCS performances as nicely. The larger query might be whether or not the Dodgers stick to a trio of Edman, Rojas, and Hernandez towards right-handers or bench one among Rojas or Hernandez in favor of lefty-swinging second baseman Gavin Lux, who struggled through the NLCS however collected 5 hits (together with a house run) through the division collection towards 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 suitable 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 high-quality towards the Mets with Michael Kopech, Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, and Daniel Hudson mixing and matching through the late innings.
Vesia, particularly, 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 facet. 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 through the common season whereas hanging out a whopping 33.1% of his opponents. Graterol, in the meantime, missed nearly your complete 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 might be the odd males out.
One reliever who Roberts mentioned gained’t be on the membership’s World Collection 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 keeping with Roberts might be accessible later within the World Collection as an harm alternative if needed.
Even much less more likely to pitch within the World Collection than Kelly is two-way celebrity Shohei Ohtani, who has been restricted to simply 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 through the collection at present, telling reporters (together with Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Occasions) that there’s “no risk” of Ohtani pitching towards the Yankees through the Fall Traditional. In fact, Ohtani delivered a 50-50 season that’s more likely to earn him his third profession MVP trophy and to this point boasts a .286/.434/.500 slash line through the playoffs, so he’s nonetheless offering the Dodgers with loads of worth even with out throwing a single pitch.
