The Los Angeles will have some real decisions to make as Game 1 of the NLCS vs. the Milwaukee Brewers begins Monday night.
The series will be seven games, so additional pitchers will likely be needed. Considering the fact that Shohei Ohtani has been active as both players, this could simply be a one-for-one swap of a position player and a reliever.
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Manager Dave Roberts addressed the situation during a virtual press conference with the media on Saturday. He acknowledged that change is coming.
There’s some interesting speculation about what these changes will be. With Tanner Scott unavailable for the NLCS, the team could simply stick with the decision to use Justin Roblewski as his replacement. But with too many left-handed pitchers already on the roster, could the team remove Wrobleski and other position players and double up on right-handed relievers?
Even if Wrobleski stays, there will be one position player left. It probably comes from groups like Ben Rothvedt, Dalton Rushing, Hyesung Kim, and Justin Dean. One catcher could be left out, as Will Smith is seemingly healthy and could resume his role as the team’s everyday catcher.
Rohrtvedt is the obvious choice as a defensive option, but Rushing offers real power and comes off the bench as a left-handed hitter. It’s also possible that Rushing will primarily be used as a pinch hitter, with all three still on the roster.
As for Kim and Dean, both give the fast, defensive-minded players. Dean has been frequently featured as a center field defensive sub throughout the playoffs. Kim scored a notable RBI in Game 4 of the NLDS, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies.
Kim is the more skilled hitter of the two, but Dean has played more throughout the postseason so far. Having both with the speed to potentially be a steal threat late in the game seems ideal.
The decision to add another pitcher is also worth paying attention to. He is almost certain to be a right-hander, with the likes of Edgardo Henriques, Kyle Hart and Ben Kasparias waiting in the wings.
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Photo courtesy: Kiyomio-Imagn Images
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