SEATTLE — The Dodgers’ biggest questions in the final days of the regular season remain health related.
In a 5-3 win against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night, Max Muncy missed a third-straight game while battling leg problems, though the Dodgers are still optimistic he’ll be ready for Tuesday’s postseason opener.
Utilityman Tommy Edman did return to the lineup, but only as designated hitter as he continues to nurse his long bothersome ankle injury.
And in the batting cage pregame, Will Smith resumed taking swings, but only off softer foam balls, continuing to leave his status for next week in doubt as he tries to return from a right hand fracture.
“I guess I’m still in the hope stage right now with his availability on Tuesday,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Beyond that, however, the Dodgers have other roster decisions to make before they open their best-of-three wild-card series. Entering the final day of the regular season, it’s still unclear exactly what their initial postseason roster will look like.
The biggest uncertainties revolve around the pitching staff, and a bullpen in particular that has been better in recent days, including nine straight strikeouts to end Saturday’s game.
While the Dodgers’ roster discussions remain fluid, Roberts sure made it sound on Friday night like embattled closer Tanner Scott and rookie phenom Roki Sasaki will be on the playoff roster. He also confirmed that Emmet Sheehan will shift to the bullpen, as expected. Veterans Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia are also undoubtedly locks, even considering Treinen’s struggles (he looked sharp in a scoreless inning Saturday, working around a leadoff single in the seventh with three strikeouts).
From there, though, there are several relief candidates for the Dodgers to evaluate — especially as they consider potential matchup preferences for the wild-card round.
At the moment, the club has a potential overabundance of left-handed relievers. In addition to Vesia and Scott, rookies Jack Dreyer and Justin Wrobleski, plus resurgent veteran Anthony Banda, are also populating the bullpen currently. Clayton Kershaw, who will make his final career regular-season start Sunday, could be a candidate to pitch in relief in October, as well.
From the right side, the club has just three active relievers in addition to Sheehan: Treinen, Sasaki, and hard-throwing rookie Edgardo Henriquez (who earned his first save of the season Saturday by striking out the side in the ninth).
There are a couple ways the Dodgers could balance out their right-handed depth, if they feel the need.
One would be using Tyler Glasnow out of the bullpen in the wild-card round — an option the Dodgers preserved Saturday by removing him from his final regular-season start after just three innings.
“Had a good conversation with him,” Roberts said. “He’s ready for whatever we need of him.”
Another name Roberts threw into the mix: Rookie Ben Casparius, who was demoted to the minors three weeks ago but remains a “viable candidate” to pitch in the postseason as a weapon against right-handed hitters. He is scheduled to join the team for a workout Monday back in Los Angeles.
Even if Casparius isn’t included on the wild-card roster, Roberts also said that he will remain in consideration if the Dodgers are to advance.
“Ben went to triple A and did exactly what we asked him to do: Dominate right-handed hitters,” Roberts said. “Give a lot of credit to Ben.”
The Dodgers’ rotation order is also a lingering unknown, with Roberts saying the team will play things “close to the vest” before publicly announcing their Game 1 starter.
Shohei Ohtani is an option to open the series, having last pitched on Tuesday (exactly one week before Game 1 will occur). He threw a bullpen session Saturday before getting the night off at T-Mobile Park.
Ohtani finished the regular season giving up just one run over his final four starts as a pitcher, and was stretched out to six innings last week in what was his longest outing since returning from a second career Tommy John surgery.
However, there are two-way dynamics for the Dodgers to consider. They could, for instance, elect to save Ohtani for a potential Game 3, and allow him to focus solely on hitting in the series’ first two games. But then, they would also risk getting eliminated before he ever pitches.
Among the position player group, there could be yet more decisions if the Dodgers elect to carry a maximum allotment of 13 pitchers.
To little surprise, Roberts said he envisions a postseason role for longtime October hero Kiké Hernández, who had been hitting just .191 this season before collecting six hits over the last three days (including a double on Thursday, a home run Friday and two more doubles Saturday, the latter of which plated two runs to break a ninth-inning tie).
Disappointing offseason signing Michael Conforto has also recently helped his case, hitting .273 over his last 16 games after recording a single and a walk Saturday.
If the Dodgers do have to trim a hitter, bench players such as Alex Call or Hyeseong Kim could be on the roster fringes; though they provide value with their contact ability, defense and speed.
Over the next 72 hours, these are all questions the Dodgers must answer. For now — publicly at least — they are kicking the can down the road as long as they can.
“You see guys playing, competing for an opportunity to be on the postseason roster,” Roberts said, after the Dodgers improved to 14-5 over their last 19 games. “I like that fight. They’re leaving it all out there. That’s all I ask.”
