The NL West and NL East champions will face off when the Dodgers host the Braves in Game 1 of the NLDS in Los Angeles. Tarik Skubal will start for the two-time defending World Series champions, while Atlanta counters with Dylan Dodd (per Mark Bowman of MLB.com) as the first game of what should be a bullpen game.
The Braves made three changes from the roster of 11 pitchers and 15 position players they carried in their NL Wild Card Series victory over the Phillies. Right-handed AJ Smith Shawver And JR Ritchie joined the list, as did the outfielder Thomas Lane. This trio replaces Dominique Smith, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., And Luke Williamsbringing the Braves to 13 pitchers to use against the powerful Los Angeles bats. Additional pitchers were needed given the approach of all Atlanta players in the deciding Game 3 against Philadelphia, as the ace Chris Sale (who apparently would have been today’s starter) came out of the bullpen to close out Thursday’s game.
Both Thomas and Williams are right-handed hitters, but Thomas has much more experience as a regular, so he’ll get the roster as a pinch-hitter or even a starting option against lefties like Skubal or Blake Snell (the starter of game 2). By this same tactic, Smith and Keirsey are left-handed bats, which could have been redundant against the lefties on the Dodgers pitching staff. Thomas has been on the 10-day injured list for nearly a month, as an intercostal muscle strain sent him to the IL on September 8.
Edgardo Henriquez also returned from the 15-day IL to rejoin the Dodgers roster, as the powerhouse reliever has been sidelined with lower back soreness since September 13. Edwin Diaz And Kris Bubic join Henriquez in the bullpen, as the Dodgers have seemingly chosen to prioritize experience over more direct results. Diaz battled injuries and posted an ugly 8.68 ERA in 18 2/3 innings in his first in Dodger Blue, but the former closer has looked more like his old self by tossing five scoreless frames in his last five appearances. Bubic also hasn’t allowed a point in his last five outings, which matches his first five outings in a Los Angeles uniform since being acquired from the Royals at the trade deadline.
The Dodgers have enough pitching depth that some sort of tough roster decision is inevitable, although there is additional risk in opting for Diaz and Bubic over pitchers who have been healthier and more productive over the course of the season. Justin Wrobleski (a playoff hero in 2025) and Jack Dreyer are probably the two most prominent members of the staff left out.
Jose De Paula and (a little surprised) Hyeseong Kim will occupy places on the bench, as Alex calls And Dalton rushes Did not make the position player side of the roster. Both De Paula and Rushing were essentially bat-only options, and the Dodgers chose to go with the highly touted De Paula over Rushing, who has battled injuries over the past couple of months. Kim hasn’t played in a major league game since May 27, but he will return from Triple-A and likely serve as a pinch-hit option.
If the Dodgers can outlast the Braves and go further in October, Blake Treinen could still emerge as a future roster option. A shoulder issue last week put Treinen on the IL for 15 days and apparently shut him down for the season, but president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told Newsweek’s JP Hoornstra and other reporters that Treinen was not dealing with a structural issue, so he could be available later in the postseason.
Courageous Seekers: Drake Baldwin, Sean Murphy
Infielders: Ozzie Albies, Ha Seong Kim, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Rowdy Tellez
Voltigeurs: Ronald Acuna Jr., Michael Harris II, Hicklen BrewerLane Thomas, Mike Yastrzemski
Utility player: Mauricio Dubon
Left-handed pitchers: Dylan Dodd, Ray Kerr, Dylan LeeChris Sale, Brent Suter
Right-handed pitchers: Didier Fuentes, Grant Holmes, Raisel Iglesias, Tyler Mahle, Victor MederosJR Ritchie, AJ Smith-Shawver, Robert Suarez
Dodgers catchers: Hunter Feduccia, Will Smith
Infielders: Bets on Mookie, Freddie FreemanHyeseong Kim, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas
Voltigeurs: Josué De Paula, Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Kyle Tucker
Utility drives: Tommy Edman, Enrique Hernandez
DH: Shohei Ohtani
Left-handed pitchers: Kris Bubic, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia
Right-handed pitchers: Edwin Diaz, Tyler GlasnowEdgardo Henriquez, Evan Phillips, Roki Sasaki, Brock Stewart, Yoshinobu Yamamoto
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