The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the postseason, aiming for their third straight championship, with the National League Division Series kicking off on October 3. But don’t let that smooth road fool you, because their roster is a whole puzzle, changing with each round, and they are making some absolutely wild calls right now.
Bye Week: Blessing or Battleground for the Dodgers?
Clinching that No. 2 seed and getting a bye past the wild card round means five days off between the regular season and the NLDS. You’d think that’s a pure blessing, but for the Dodgers, it might be a necessity. This squad has the oldest position-player group in baseball, averaging just under 31 years old. Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages both just got activated off the injured list this week, which is huge, but Freddie Freeman is out there grinding through a right knee injury. His September numbers, a brutal .219/.293/.260, scream for some rest and a chance to find his form before October 3. On the pitching side, Roki Sasaki missed over three weeks with a blister, and Blake Snell left a start last week with left groin discomfort, though he is scheduled to pitch Saturday to see if he is good to go. Edgardo Henriquez, sidelined since September 14 with lower back discomfort, is expected to be ready for the NLDS after nearly three weeks off. This bye week could be make or break for their health.
De Paula’s Demotion: Cold-Blooded or Calculated?
Here’s where it gets wild: Dodgers top prospect Josue De Paula just got optioned. Remember him? He got his first taste of the big leagues when Ohtani hit the IL and absolutely tore it up. In 11 games, filling in at designated hitter and even getting a start in left field, De Paula slashed .323/.500/.581 with five extra-base hits. He was walking more than he struck out, 11 walks to just five strikeouts! President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman called him “awesome,” saying he “injected some life and energy into our team.” So why the demotion once Ohtani returned on Wednesday? Manager Dave Roberts laid it out: “We have some other guys that need to play that we’ve got to put eyes on. And to be quite frank, there’s just not a lot of at-bats to go around now that Shohei’s back.” He mentioned needing to get Miggy Rojas and Kiké Hernández some at-bats. It is a brutal decision for a hot prospect, but it screams “championship or bust” thinking.
So, the Dodgers have their bye week, they’re managing a banged-up veteran squad, and they just sent down a blazing hot prospect because their lineup is *too* deep. What happens next? The NLDS starts October 3. They are chasing a third straight championship, and how they navigate these roster calls and nagging injuries will tell the whole story. You’ve got to wonder if all this “rest” and roster shuffling makes them vulnerable or makes them even more terrifying. We’ll find out soon enough.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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