The Dodgers are heading into October with some important pieces getting a little extra time to breathe, and that was the big theme around the club as they prepared for the National League Division Series.
Los Angeles made a roster move to activate a key pitcher before Saturday’s opener, and manager Dave Roberts said the five-day bye has been a real advantage for the group. He pointed specifically to the recently activated arm, saying, “I think he’s one of those guys that getting the bye has really benefited,” Roberts said.
“He’ll throw another live or sim game to some hitters. ... Then he should be ready to go.
And given the body of work, what he’s done, the unique skill set could be huge for us, will be huge for us.”
Miguel Rojas is also briefly stepping away from the team for a personal reason. He is expected back for Game 1 of the NLDS, and he said the engagement was originally planned for January so it wouldn’t interfere with the season the way it has now.
Shohei Ohtani is another player getting the benefit of the extra rest. He is five games removed from being activated off the injured list for the first time as a Dodger, and Roberts said the biggest thing with Ohtani is simply getting him healthy.
“I think for me, it's just the health,” Roberts said. “I think that he did everything he could to manage it, all the while being somewhat compromised.
And I think that he's going to be as healthy and feel as good as he's felt.”
The Dodgers also learned their schedule for the first two games of the NLDS after the San Diego Padres swept the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card round. Game 1 is set for Saturday at 1 p.m.
PT/4 p.m. ET, with Game 2 on Sunday at 5 p.m.
PT/8 p.m. ET.
They’re still waiting on an opponent. The winner of Thursday’s Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies game will travel to Los Angeles for the series.
Roberts also declined to announce his starting pitchers for the NLDS, though the decision appears to be obvious. And in another postseason note, Andrew Friedman gave a surprising response when asked about the team’s closer situation.
Among the other buzz around the club, there’s been attention on Mookie Betts, Alex Vesia, Will Smith and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the Dodgers try to line everything up for another deep October run.
In Other News...
Padres Just Left The Dodgers With A Brutal NLDS Opener
The Dodgers NLDS opener landed in an unwelcome spot almost as soon as San Diego finished off the Cubs in the Wild Card round. Instead of a prime-time atmosphere, Game 1 was pushed to a 1 p.m. local start under an extreme heat watch, with temperatures expected to climb to 101 degrees and humidity adding to the discomfort.
Dave Roberts made it clear he would have preferred a night game, and the concerns went beyond convenience. Player safety has been part of the conversation, and the scheduling shift came on the heels of the Padres sweep, even if the exact reason for the change still wasnt fully clear. For the Dodgers, it was one more layer of irritation before a matchup that already carried plenty of October pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers NLDS Opener Comes With A Stadium Twist Fans Will Notice
Dodger Stadium is getting a postseason menu refresh as the NLDS opens, with Levy rolling out a batch of new food items for fans coming through the gates. The additions are built for the kind of October crowd that likes to make an event out of every inning, and the list includes a Spam musubi dog, orange chicken fries, a colossal burger, a wing sampler, chicharron and guacamole, and a churro waffle ice cream sandwich.
The new offerings will be available for all NLDS games, and there is at least a chance they stick around into the NL Championship Series if the Dodgers keep advancing. For fans, it adds another layer to a postseason atmosphere that already comes with plenty to track, from the action on the field to what ends up in hand during the long nights at Chavez Ravine. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Braves NLDS Opens With One Huge Pitching Question
The National League Division Series gets underway Saturday at Dodger Stadium, and for the Dodgers the first layer of strategy comes before the first pitch is even thrown. Atlanta arrives fresh off a wild-card sweep of the Phillies, while Los Angeles had the benefit of a bye, giving both sides a different kind of edge as the matchup shifts from survival baseball to a best-of-five series.
Chris Sales status for the opener is the biggest pitching question hanging over the matchup, with his recent workload creating real uncertainty for the Braves. From the Dodgers side, the bye gives them some flexibility in how they line up their own rotation for Game 1, a small but meaningful advantage in a series where every decision around the mound could shape the tone early. [Read more 🡒]