Friday, September 12

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With healthier rosters come tougher decisions. Generally speaking, it's a good problem to have.

For the Dodgers, who are bidding for another NL West title, these decisions need to set them up to finish the regular season strong.

The Dodgers know that they need certain players to get right in order for them to make a deep postseason run. But they also need to put themselves in the best position to win on any given night. Those things aren't mutually exclusive, but the latter is arguably the bigger priority with a tight division race coming to a close.

That has already led to one tough call earlier this week, when righty reliever Ben Casparius was optioned to make room for lefty Alex Vesia's return from the injured list. There are likely others on the way. Here are some big decisions the Dodgers will have to make in the near future:

What's next for Sasaki?

It wasn't long ago that Roki Sasaki did not seem to be a viable option to return to the big league club this season. But the door seems to be open after the rookie right-hander flashed some electric stuff in his last rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The Dodgers' rotation has no openings as things stand, so Sasaki's path back to the Majors this season would involve shifting to the bullpen. That begs the question: Would it be better for Sasaki's development for him to close out the season making regular starts in Triple-A …

… or would both he and the Dodgers benefit from him pitching in some capacity in the Majors -- and if he earns it, in the postseason? To get to that point, Sasaki would need to prove himself in a new role at the big league level. These are all factors that the organization is taking into consideration.

"Just to be honest with Roki and kind of where we're at, where he's at, what's best for him, what's best for us," manager Dave Roberts said. "And I do think that that question is going to be asked, because you can, I think, argue both. Whether it's kind of getting ready for something to happen here in a starting role or changing a role, I think it just all should be on the table. We're going to have that conversation."

Who should be the backup catcher?

Rookie backstop Dalton Rushing began a rehab assignment with Oklahoma City on Thursday, putting him in line to return after a minimum-length stint on the injured list with a bone bruise in his right shin. But in a small sample with the Dodgers, Ben Rortvedt has merited some serious consideration for the backup role. 

Rortvedt, who was acquired from the Rays ahead of the Trade Deadline, has been thrown into the fire since having his contract selected last week. With Will Smith missing time with a right hand bone bruise and Rushing going on the IL, Rortvedt has had to learn the Dodgers' staff in a hurry.

The results speak for themselves. The rotation posted a combined 1.18 ERA in its last turn, and Rortvedt caught four of those starts. Rortvedt is out of Minor League options, another reason that the Dodgers may opt to keep him on the active roster. Rushing has more offensive upside, although he has yet to get steady results at the big league level. It will come down to which qualities the team chooses to prioritize with its depth pieces.

Who's earned a spot in the bullpen?

The Dodgers have a lot of relievers to choose from. But how many of them are truly reliable?

That's what the team is trying to determine during the final weeks of the regular season, and there are options who are not currently on the active roster. Casparius and Sasaki, for instance. Brock Stewart might be ready to come off the IL as soon as next week. Perhaps Kyle Hurt, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery with Oklahoma City, could factor into the equation later on. 

This might be the Dodgers' position group with the most difficult balance of get-right vs. win-now decisions. Just as each remaining game matters on a team level, the final stretch may be just as significant for individuals and their roles going forward.

It came as somewhat of a surprise when Casparius, who had spent the entire season in the Majors, was the corresponding move for Vesia's return. The hope is that after a stint with Oklahoma City, the rookie will return to pitching meaningful innings for the Dodgers this year.

"Getting Ben back to dominating right-handed hitters," Roberts said, "is something that we felt, if we can kind of give him a chance to catch his breath, get to OKC and get back to that, it'll be more helpful for us the rest of the year, and potentially throughout the postseason."

Casparius held right-handed hitters to a .161 average before being stretched out starting on June 11, compared with .323 afterward. If he can get back into that early-season form while he's in Triple-A, it could be a huge boost for the Dodgers' lefty-heavy bullpen.

If postseason action isn't enough to tide you over during October, some of the top prospects in baseball will be in the spotlight down in the desert. 

This year's Arizona Fall League rosters were announced on Wednesday, and outfielder Josue De Paula (No. 1/MLB No. 12) highlights the Dodgers' representatives on the Glendale Desert Dogs. 

Here are the other L.A. prospects who will be participating: Payton Martin, RHP (No. 21); Hyun-Seok Jang, RHP (No. 22); Kendall George, OF (No. 25); Jakob Wright, LHP (No. 29); Justin Chambers, LHP; Alex Makarewich, RHP and Logan Wagner, 3B/2B.

The Fall League begins play on Oct. 6 and concludes with a championship game on Nov. 15.

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