The Los Angeles Dodgers announced their roster for the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of Game 1 on Saturday.
The Dodgers opted to bring 11 pitchers, including five left-handed relievers, along with 15 position players. Notably, the Dodgers didn’t change their position playing personnel, leaving Michael Conforto off the roster once again.
As far as their pitchers go, they dropped Justin Wrobleski and Edgardo Henriquez off the roster to make room for Clayton Kershaw and Anthony Banda.
Henriquez only featured in one of the Dodgers’ Wild Card games, allowing a hit and a run without recording an out. Wrobleski didn’t feature during the Wild Card series.
Kershaw missed the Wild Card round because he started the final game of the regular season just days before, and wouldn’t have been able to feature on ample rest during the series. His inclusion is huge for the Dodgers, who plan to use him out of the bullpen.
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has spoken about Kershaw’s presence on the team in the postseason, and has repeatedly stated he would feature during the NLDS.
“If we’re fortunate enough,” Roberts said, “he’ll be on the DS roster, yes.”
He said the same for Banda, who’s exclusion against the Reds was a strategic roster decision.
“If we’re fortunate enough to get to the next round, he’ll be in there versus the Phillies.”
Kershaw has been fantastic in his 18th MLB season, posting a 3.36 ERA through 23 appearances. He made 22 starts and one relief appearance, which came against the Arizona Diamondbacks late in the season. He threw a scoreless inning in a tied game, allowing the Dodgers to take an extra-innings win.
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Banda followed up his breakout 2024 campaign with another solid season for the Dodgers, where he posted a 3.18 ERA through 71 appearances. The left-hander has postseason experience, featuring in 10 games during the Dodgers’ World Series run last season. He had a 1.13 ERA through those 10 appearances, and is sure to be a high-leverage option in this Dodgers bullpen.
LA had the best offense of any team in the Wild Card round, scoring 18 runs across two games against the Reds. They had a team batting average of .373, which was significantly better than the second-best Chicago Cubs with a mark of .258.
The Dodgers begin their series against the Phillies on Saturday, and will face Cristopher Sanchez on the road to kick off the NLDS. Shohei Ohtani will make his first ever postseason pitching appearance in the matchup, which begins at 3:38 p.m. PT.
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