Oakland, California — Nobody anticipated seeing the Los Angeles Dodgers like this. Not one of the several lineup tricks manager Dave Roberts has had to write during this stretch of games, including Cavan Biggio at first base or Gavin Lux at third. It makes sense that producing runs would be more difficult when Will Smith is having trouble and Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts are not in the lineup.
The Dodgers’ hold on the division has loosened, and hardly nobody has looked that much better after this.
This week’s key takeaways examine the roster conundrum the Dodgers will soon have to resolve.
The conundrum
“I think certain guys that are playing right now, essentially playing every day, are maybe being a little exposed,” Roberts conceded this weekend. Then the Dodgeer managed to squeak out a series victory over the Oakland Athletics, holding on for a 3-2 win on Sunday afternoon.
Dodgers victory, 3-2. After winning their last series in Oakland, they are 65-47.
Time of game: 2:27.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) August 4, 2024
The Dodgers have advocated for perseverance up until they emerge from an absurd conglomeration of injuries. It seems that day is drawing nearer. In the next weeks, there will be a significant change in the current roster. The matter at hand is: who makes it out alive?
“At some point, the rubber meets the road, and we’ve got to make some tough decisions,” Roberts said. “And that’s never easy. … But we’ve got more guys coming than we have spots. So that’s a good thing for the organization.”
This week’s most positive development included a Dodger player’s son rather than the player himself. Maximus, the couple’s youngest child, was released from the hospital after eight days, according to a Sunday afternoon Instagram post by Chelsea Freeman, the wife of Freddie Freeman. Maximus, 3, has been diagnosed with a severe case of Guillain-Barré syndrome, an uncommon neurological disorder, according to a post made by Chelsea earlier this week. The post stated that full-body paralysis was one of Maximus’ symptoms.
“Max still has a long road ahead of him to regain his strength and relearn how to walk,” Chelsea wrote on Sunday. “But we are so thankful to have our family back together.”
Roberts announced on Sunday afternoon that Freeman, who had been placed on emergency family leave and then placed on the restricted list (a paper move), may rejoin the Dodgers as early as Monday or Tuesday, coinciding with his upward trend.
The infield
Biggio has improved from a minor role player to the starting first baseman during Freeman’s absence, going 5-for-27 with two home runs in the past week. His minor-league alternatives are gone.
Freeman should not be far behind Betts. Roberts stated that Betts, who has not played since the middle of June due to a fractured hand, might return on August 12th, when the team travels to Milwaukee. Where exactly he will play is still up in the air.
Tommy Edman, who has not played in a major league game this season, is also anticipated to shortly resume his rehabilitation assignment. The Dodgers added Edman and Amed Rosario to their collection of versatile players, which already included Chris Taylor and Kiké Hernández, to bolster their infield and outfield depth through the trade deadline. Second base is not really a landing point, not with Gavin Lux swinging the bat as well as he has this season (at least not against right-handed pitching).
Maybe the never-ending string of names at third base is coming to an end. Max Muncy’s strained oblique appears to be feeling better after visiting a chiropractor, which has allowed the Dodgers to increase Muncy’s level of activity. Next week, he will face live at-bats. There might be a rehab assignment after that. Additionally, players like Biggio, Rosario, and Hernández will no longer have the opportunity to participate.
Rosario’s worth on the team is obvious, and this week provided further confirmation of that. He will start against left-handed pitchers; in spite of Rosario’s productivity this season, the Dodgers did not start him against right-hander Mitch Spence on Saturday (he entered on Sunday with a.719 OPS against righties).
It is complicated until Miguel Rojas or Betts return to play shortstop. Especially considering that there is no assurance Betts will return to that role.
Hernández and Rosario are options at shortstop; Nick Ahmed started all of the games at shortstop after signing on July 24 and sat on Sunday.
In certain situations, Rosario can also play second base and third base against lefties. In theory, Hernández, who was also acquired to hit lefties but has had difficulty doing so for much of this season, might lose ground to that. This season, he has a.611 OPS versus left-handers when he wakes up on Sunday.
“This game is about producing, or you’re gonna be out of the game,” Hernández said. “I believe that if I’m anywhere close to the hitter that I’m capable of being, we’d be in better shape and a better spot.”
Despite playing nearly every day at third base, Hernández has lately become one of the Dodgers’ most prolific hitters; in 55 plate appearances since the All-Star break, he has hit.300/.364/.460.
“I think he’s playing his best baseball that he’s played in a while, on both sides of the ball,” Roberts said. “And that’s because, No. 1, he’s playing good baseball. But I also feel that he’s smart enough to realize that there’s other guys that are coming. And how do you keep getting opportunities? You perform.”
Hernández has performed at his best, despite it being unclear where he fits best, because of the impending roster crunch. Hernández is capable of handling the outfield, although Edman and Rosario are also capable.
The pitching
The Dodgers find it tough to think of pitching River Ryan anywhere else. Sunday’s 4 2/3 inning marked the shortest of his third big-league appearance. Like Landon Knack and Justin Wrobleski before him, though, Ryan has proven to be more than the Dodgers could have fairly anticipated from a rookie. It is a beneficial problem to have.
There may be more challenging choices ahead. Walker Buehler has struggled in Triple A, but last weekend Roberts said that he would return after one more rehab start. Even after being sidelined from his most recent minor-league start due to adductor pain, Bobby Miller could now be considered.
The Dodgers play the Phillies for three games before having a day off on Thursday, which could lead to the development of a temporary solution. They will then play 13 straight games until their next day off. In theory, this would enable the team to defer making a choice and substitute Buehler as a starter.
Naturally, doing so would mean forfeiting a bullpen that will likely see the return of Ryan Brasier and Michael Grove the following week. Despite all of its difficulties over the last month, the group still seems to have room for improvement. On Sunday, five relievers worked together to pitch 4 1/3 scoreless innings and secure a victory against Oakland. Among the performers were former closer Evan Phillips, who had a successful afternoon, and Anthony Banda, who has developed as a trustworthy leverage option, who made a save.
“I think that part of our team is a strength,” Roberts said.
(Photo of Kiké Hernández: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
