The Dodgers are done waiting and done deciding. After a five-day layoff, Los Angeles is set to open the National League Division Series at home against the Atlanta Braves, with Games 1 and 2 coming at Dodger Stadium.
The Braves punched their ticket by beating the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-game wild-card series, then had to turn right around and fly to Los Angeles with just one day off before the NLDS. The Dodgers, meanwhile, spent the break working out at Dodger Stadium and getting rest before the postseason push.
That pause also gave the club’s staff extra time to sort through the final 26-man roster, and the choices are now official.
Among the position players, catcher Dalton Rushing did not make the cut. Rushing is limited to hitting because of an elbow injury, and after logging just three at-bats following his return from the injured list ahead of the regular season’s final series, he was always a long shot. His roster spot goes to top prospect Josue De Paula.
The Dodgers also opted to leave out outfielder Alex Call and instead carried Hyeseong Kim, who arrived this week as a possible pinch runner and defensive replacement.
On the pitching side, left-handers Justin Wrobleski and Jack Dreyer were left off, along with right-handers Emmet Sheehan and Kyle Hurt.
Kris Bubic, acquired from the Kansas City Royals at the trade deadline in a move that flew a bit under the radar, is on the roster. Right-hander Edgardo Henriquez also made the team after finishing the regular season on the injured list with a back injury.
Blake Treinen, however, is out. The right-hander hurt himself while warming up in the bullpen during the final series of the season and has been ruled out for the year.
In Other News...
Dodgers Let NLDS Control Slip Away After Another Offensive Letdown
Blake Snells afternoon never found a rhythm, and the Dodgers could not do enough offensively to take advantage of the opening it created. Los Angeles dropped a 3-2 decision to the Braves in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, a result that evened the series at one game apiece and left the Dodgers searching for the timely hit that has been missing too often in October.
Snell issued a season-high five walks, and the game turned on a chaotic stretch that included a wild pitch from Braves reliever Kris Bubic before Atlanta grabbed the go-ahead run. Freddie Freeman also came through for the Braves with a home run, his first since Sept. 2, adding another swing that helped flip the momentum and leave the Dodgers with a split instead of control. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Face A Lineup Decision That Could Test Braves In Game 3
After getting bottled up by the Braves in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, the Dodgers are staring at a familiar October problem: how to jolt an offense that went quiet when it needed to answer back. Atlanta leaned on multiple pitchers to keep Los Angeles in check, and now Dave Roberts is weighing a lineup tweak for Game 3 as the series shifts into a more urgent phase for a team trying to avoid elimination.
The concern centers on center fielder Andy Pages, whose postseason struggles have become hard to ignore, and that has opened the door for Enrique Hernandez to potentially step in and give the lineup a different look. Hernandez has earned a reputation as a reliable October bat, which is part of what makes this decision so interesting for the Dodgers, who need more than just better at-bats now - they need a spark that can change the feel of the series. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Face A Real Andy Pages Lineup Dilemma
Andy Pages arrived at October with the kind of profile the Dodgers hoped would translate, but through two postseason games he has not found much traction. He has gone hitless in eight plate appearances, drawing one walk and striking out four times, and the swing-and-miss issues have stood out even more because they are so far above his regular-season norms. For a Dodgers lineup built to keep pressure on opposing pitching, that kind of drop-off from a regular contributor quickly becomes hard to ignore.
Dave Roberts has already made one adjustment by limiting Pages ability to challenge calls, a small but telling sign that the club is trying to manage both the player and the moment. If the struggles continue, the Dodgers do not appear short on alternatives, which only adds to the tension around Pages spot. In October, even a young hitter with legitimate upside can find himself one rough stretch away from a lineup debate. [Read more 🡒]