Dodgers Dugout: A (too early?) look at the postseason roster

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. With a tropical storm, record rain, heavy wind and an earthquake all hitting Southern California on the same day, I’m pretty sure Irwin Allen was put in charge of the area for the day. (An Irwin Allen reference? How old is the guy writing this newsletter?)

With 39 games remaining in the regular season for the Dodgers, it’s probably too early to start thinking about the postseason roster. But let’s do it anyway.

Barring injuries, the position player roster is basically set, and with constant movement in the bullpen, it’s impossible to predict the entire postseason bullpen. But this is the fun part of baseball, guessing what things will look like in October.

A brief look:

Projected postseason roster

Catchers (2)
Austin Barnes
Will Smith

Infielders (6)
Freddie Freeman
Kiké Hernández
Max Muncy
Miguel Rojas
Amed Rosario
Chris Taylor

Outfielders (4)
Mookie Betts
Jason Heyward
James Outman
David Peralta

Designated hitter (1)
J.D. Martinez

Those 13 players are locked in. They are listed at the position the Dodgers list them, but Hernández and Taylor can play the outfield and Betts can play middle infield.

Next, let’s look at a potential postseason bullpen

Right-handed relievers: Ryan Brasier, Brusdar Graterol, Joe Kelly, Evan Phillips.

Left-handed relievers: Caleb Ferguson, Alex Vesia, Ryan Yarbrough.

That leaves room for two more. You may be wondering about Vesia, who has a high overall ERA, but he has a 2.87 ERA since July 1. The final two spots are impossible to predict. Will Shelby Miller pitch well after his rehab assignment is complete? Will Blake Treinen somehow return? Will Yency Almonte pitch better after he gets off the IL? Will Gus Varland continue to pitch well? Will Victor González rediscover his previous form? Can Ryan Pepiot pitch his way on to the roster?

Now, the starting rotation

Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urías, Lance Lynn, Bobby Miller. These four have clearly risen above every other starter on the 40-man roster, and with the injury to Tony Gonsolin, there’s really no other candidates.

It looked for quite a while this season that the rotation would be a big weakness for the Dodgers in the postseason. But suddenly, everyone is pitching like world beaters. Look at the numbers for these four in their last five starts:

Urías: 4-0, 2.03 ERA, 31 IP, 24 hits, 4 walks, 32 K’s

Kershaw: 3-0, 1.24 ERA, 29 IP, 18 hits, 7 walks, 18 K’s

Lynn: 3-0, 1.44 ERA, 25 IP, 17 hits, 5 walks, 25 K’s

Miller: 2-1, 2.70 ERA, 26.2 IP, 24 hits, 6 walks, 23 K’s

Lynn’s numbers are his last four starts, all with the Dodgers.

That’s a solid postseason roster, more than capable of winning a World Series. That doesn’t mean they will, of course.

Let’s compare that to the Dodgers’ opening day roster

Catchers: Austin Barnes, Will Smith. So no change there.

Infielders: Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor, Miguel Vargas. Vargas is back in the minors, while Hernández and Rosario are welcome additions.

Outfielders: Mookie Betts, Jason Heyward, James Outman, David Peralta, Trayce Thompson. Thompson was part of the deal that brought Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn here.

DH: J.D. Martinez.

The Dodgers have used 21 position players this season. Others who have played who aren’t listed above: Michael Busch, Jonny Deluca, Yonny Hernández, Jake Marisnick, Luke Williams and Austin Wynns.

Rotation: Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urías, Dustin May, Noah Syndergaard, Michael Grove. Only two remain.

Bullpen: Yency Almonte, Phil Bickford, Caleb Ferguson, Brusdar Graterol, Andre Jackson, Shelby Miller, Evan Phillips and Alex Vesia. Bickford and Jackson are no longer with the Dodgers. Almonte and Miller are on the IL.

The Dodgers have used 36 pitchers this season, not counting two position players who pitched.

Speaking of Noah

It seems appropriate that after epic rain and flooding, a guy named Noah starts against the Dodgers tonight.

That’s right, Noah Syndergaard is back, starting for the Cleveland Guardians against the Dodgers. Syndergaard was sent to the Guardians at the trade deadline for Amed Rosario. He has gone 1-2 with a 5.06 ERA for Cleveland, giving up 25 hits and six walks in 21 1/3 innings, striking out 11. He has been hurt badly by the long ball, giving up six homers.

Of course, that means he will probably throw seven shutout innings.

Tony Gonsolin

Tony Gonsolin hasn’t pitched like himself this season, and now we know why: He was injured. The Dodgers put him on the 15-day IL Saturday because of right forearm inflammation and said he has been dealing with the issue for quite a while.

“It’s been six weeks where he hasn’t felt great,” Dave Roberts said. “So I do commend him wholeheartedly [for pitching through discomfort]. I think he’s gained the respect of the guys in the clubhouse, and he never made it an excuse.”

Team doctors said that he wouldn’t do any more damage by continuing to pitch, but it seems odd in this era of babying pitchers that they would let him continue.

Greatest Dodgers of all time

Received more than 15,000 ballots for the “10 greatest Dodgers of all time” voting. Almost done counting the ballots, and the countdown of the top 25 will begin Wednesday. Thanks for your patience.

Up next

Tuesday: Dodgers (Bobby Miller, 7-2, 3.70 ERA) at Cleveland (Noah Syndergaard, 2-6, 6.57 ERA), 4:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 12-4, 2.48 ERA) at Cleveland (Xzavion Curry, 3-1, 3.24 ERA), 4:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Thursday: Dodgers (TBD) at Cleveland (Gavin Williams, 1-4, 3.02 ERA), 10:10 a.m. PT, SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

‘He knows what he’s doing.’ Austin Barnes’ resurgent play rewards Dodgers’ prolonged faith

Homes of Dodgers’ Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman burglarized while they were away

How Freddie Freeman and his father developed one of baseball’s best swings

How I learned that the Dodgers are L.A.’s language of love

Why Mookie Betts currently holds the edge over Freddie Freeman for NL MVP

Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin placed on injured list and is likely out for the season

And finally

Rick Monday gives the Dodgers the lead in Game 5 of the 1981 NLCS. Watch and listen here.