The Dodgers got a week to breathe after winning exactly 100 games, and now the focus shifts to the little roster details that can matter so much in October. With the Braves and Phillies still battling in the NL Wild Card round, Los Angeles is sitting back, fine-tuning its postseason group and waiting for the NLDS matchup to be decided.
One of the more interesting names in the mix is Josue De Paula. The 21-year-old outfielder made a real impression while covering for the injured Shohei Ohtani, batting .323/.500/.581 in 42 plate appearances before being optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Sonja Chen of MLB.com believes De Paula, along with utility man Hyeseong Kim, could still factor into the playoff roster. For De Paula, though, the path appears narrow.
His bat may earn him a spot, but his glove likely won’t. He has the ability to handle a corner outfield spot, but the Dodgers only used him for six innings in left, and the postseason usually leaves little room for defensive uncertainty unless there’s an emergency.
Ohtani, meanwhile, has had September to get himself ready for his third straight postseason run with the Dodgers. With three days still left before the NLDS begins, he’s using the time to keep his swing in shape, according to Chen. General manager Brandon Gomes said the club likes where Ohtani stands physically and at the plate.
“Everything is feeling great physically,” general manager Brandon Gomes said on a Zoom call with the media on Tuesday. “The swings, once he came back, overall were in a good place.
And using these five days to continue to get reps and feeling good into this series is really important. But feels like he’s in a great spot.”
Freddie Freeman is also entering October with a better outlook than he had late in the regular season. His power disappeared after the break, when he hit only one home run and slugged .339 while dealing with patellar tendonitis in his right knee. But heading into the NLDS, he says he’s feeling much better, according to Jack Harris of the California Post.
“I truly feel good right now, physically,” Freeman said on Tuesday, during a video conference with reporters ahead of the Dodgers’ first pre-National League Division Series bye week workout. “So it’s on me now to figure out the mechanics of the swing in the next five days. And I have all the confidence in myself that I will figure that out by [Game 1 on] Saturday.”
In Other News...
Dodgers Could Be Headed For A Costly Tarik Skubal Fight
With a first-round bye in hand, the Dodgers suddenly have something rare in October: time. Dave Roberts can line up his rotation without the daily grind of a playoff series, and that likely means Tarik Skubal will be in the mix as a starter as the club tries to position itself for a deep run. Even with the postseason front and center, the bigger conversation may already be drifting toward what comes next, because Skubal is shaping up as one of the most coveted arms in the game.
Reports have linked the Dodgers and Mets as the two teams most likely to chase him in free agency, but the market could get murky fast. The negotiating window before the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires is short, labor talks are looming and a potential salary cap could alter the way teams approach a deal. Add Scott Boras representing Skubal, and what looks like a straightforward pursuit could turn into a costly fight the Dodgers have to be ready for. [Read more 🡒]
Former Diamondbacks Outfielder Just Opened An Interesting NL West Door
Alek Thomas spent the 2026 season in a Dodgers organization that kept him busy at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where the outfielder helped the Comets win both the Pacific Coast League title and the Triple-A National Championship. Thomas, who came over from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a midseason trade, had already been removed from Los Angeles 40-man roster in early September, leaving him in limbo as the minor league year wound down.
Now he has elected free agency, creating an interesting NL West wrinkle for a player who has already crossed paths with two division rivals. For the Dodgers, it leaves open the possibility of a familiar depth piece returning to a system that saw him contribute to a championship run, even as Thomas moves into a market where his next stop could just as easily be inside the division as outside it. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Will Read Into Dave Roberts Latest Elly De La Cruz Praise
Elly De La Cruz left his mark on the Dodgers in September 2026, and Dave Roberts made sure to acknowledge it. After De La Cruz powered Cincinnati against Los Angeles with multiple home runs, Roberts was straightforward about the Reds stars performance and his talent, the kind of manager acknowledgment that tends to travel fast when it comes after a rough night for a pitching staff.
For Dodgers fans, the bigger interest may be what gets read into Roberts latest praise. De La Cruz has already shown the sort of impact that commands attention, and any compliment from a rival manager is going to invite speculation about a future fit in Los Angeles. For now, though, there is no indication of any move, just a reminder that the Dodgers saw up close exactly why De La Cruz keeps coming up in conversations beyond Cincinnati. [Read more 🡒]