The Dodgers have opened the door for a handful of fringe players as they prepare for the NLDS, and five names now have lockers for the team’s pre-series workouts: Josue De Paula, Alex Freeland, Bobby Miller, Ben Rortvedt and Emmet Sheehan.
That doesn’t mean all - or even most - of them are headed onto the postseason roster. But it does mean they’ve been given a real look before the NLDS begins Saturday, and for a few of them, the case is stronger than for the rest.
De Paula stands out as the most intriguing possibility. The 21-year-old top prospect got just 11 games with the club after Shohei Ohtani’s injury in September, but he made those chances count.
In that stretch, he posted a .500 on-base percentage and an OPS above 1.000, while homering once and driving in seven runs. The biggest question hanging over him is defense, since he graded as a below-average outfielder in the minor leagues.
Still, the Dodgers are seriously weighing him for a spot over Dalton Rushing.
Sheehan also has a real shot after finishing the year strong. He spent most of the season with the big league club before a surprise demotion at the beginning of August ended that run early.
His 2026 line - a 4.57 ERA across 23 appearances - doesn’t jump off the page, but what came after the demotion does. He turned in a 1.50 ERA in four MiLB outings in August, earned Pacific Coast League pitcher of the month honors, then came back to the Dodgers in September and delivered a 0.53 ERA over 17 innings with 24 strikeouts.
That late surge may have been enough to push him into the conversation for October.
Miller has also made himself interesting again. He hadn’t appeared in an MLB game in a year and a half before returning in September, and he used three outings to help his cause.
Working in a bulk relief role, he logged a 3.68 ERA and struck out eight in 7.1 innings. The Dodgers may not be eager to carry a bulk reliever for a five-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies or the Atlanta Braves, but Miller could matter if the path gets longer.
He’s also battling for one of those spots with other right-handed options.
Freeland’s odds look much thinner. He spent a little more than half the season with the big league team and improved after a rough 29-game run in the majors in 2025, but the overall production still leaves him on the outside.
In 89 games this year, he hit four homers, drove in 21 runs and finished with a .652 OPS. Even with that work, the Dodgers have plenty of infield flexibility already through Tommy Edman, Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas.
Rortvedt is in a similar spot. He played an important role for the Dodgers in last year’s postseason, but his path this time is crowded.
He appeared in just 16 major league games this season, and the Dodgers already have Will Smith and Hunter Feduccia as their two catchers on the active roster. Unless an injury changes the picture, Rortvedt looks like a long shot.
He hit .185/.185/.185 with a .370 OPS, collecting five singles in 27 at-bats.
The Dodgers won’t carry all five players into October. But the fact that they’re all in the room for these workouts gives each one at least a chance to make one last push.
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