Predicting the Dodgers' Opening Day roster

March 21st, 2021

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Most of the Dodgers¡¯ roster was set as they entered camp in mid-February. But some new developments and a couple of heated competitions will be the focus as the Dodgers look to finalize their Opening Day roster over the next 10 days.?

Figuring out the starting rotation will be the biggest decision for the Dodgers in the coming weeks. The club will also have to take a look at how it will construct the bench and bullpen, especially if a pair of relievers are unable to start the season.

Things can change quickly, but let¡¯s look at what the Dodgers¡¯ Opening Day roster could look like on April 1 against the Rockies.

Catchers (2): ,
Smith and Barnes complement each other well and are lined up to be the two catchers on the Opening Day roster, barring an injury in the last 10 days of camp. Smith has the potential to be an All-Star because of his offensive prowess, but he still has to prove that he can deliver the same level of production over a 162-game season. Barnes, on the other hand, is considered one of the best defensive catchers in the National League and has a good rapport with the pitching staff. With Clayton Kershaw pitching on Opening Day, it¡¯s likely that it¡¯ll be Barnes starting behind the plate. No. 1 prospect Keibert Ruiz, who dealt with visa issues earlier this spring, will be a valuable third option in the Minors this season. Ruiz will be at the alternate training site to begin the season.

First base (2): ,
Muncy had a down season in 2020, but the Dodgers stuck with him in the cleanup spot and he delivered during the postseason, contributing three home runs and 14 RBIs. The Dodgers hope that getting back to a normal routine will help Muncy in ¡¯21. He¡¯ll continue to hit in the middle of the order.?

Beaty will also likely be on the Opening Day roster. His willingness to move to the outfield more often this spring certainly helped his cause. He¡¯ll get playing time at left field, especially against right-handed pitching. Matt Davidson, a non-roster invitee who is experimenting with trying to become a consistent two-way player, could also be an option, but that has become unlikely as camp has gone on.

Second base (2): ,
Taylor will play all over the field this season, but he¡¯ll get a fair share of his playing time at second, particularly against left-handed pitching. Lux has been one of the standouts so far this spring, and the former top prospect will get regular playing time at second base to start the season. Lux will have to prove that his super Minor League production can translate to the big league level. So far, so good for Lux, who was 12-for-31 (.387) this spring entering Sunday.

Third base (2): ,
No changes here as Turner is expected to receive the bulk of the playing time at third base. Turner showed up to camp significantly skinnier, and the hope is that it helps him continue to be agile defensively at third base. He¡¯s been one of the standouts on defense this spring. R¨ªos will also get a good amount of playing time because of his impressive power. He has struggled a bit this spring, hitting just .182 in 22 at-bats, but the Dodgers aren¡¯t worried about that. Taylor will also get some playing time at third, giving the Dodgers even more depth at the position.

Shortstop (1):
Seager is entering a contract season and will be looking to build on a very impressive 2020, which ended with?NLCS and World Series MVP trophies. He played in 52 of the 60 games last season, a heavy workload that will continue in ¡¯21 if the star shortstop is healthy. Seager had five home runs entering Sunday.

Outfield (3): , ,
The Dodgers lost Joc Pederson in free agency, meaning the outfield workload will largely fall on Betts, Bellinger and Pollock, although the club has plenty of versatile players who can fill in as needed. Taylor and Zach McKinstry will also get plenty of playing time in the outfield, especially if Lux has a good start to the season.?

Bellinger¡¯s shoulder was a question mark, but the star outfielder has put any concerns to rest. Despite showing off a new stance, which he has since tweaked again, Bellinger¡¯s swings have looked healthy and there¡¯s no reason to think he won¡¯t be the Opening Day center fielder.

Utility (1):
It¡¯ll be difficult to replace Kik¨¦ Hern¨¢ndez¡¯s production both offensively and defensively, but people in the organization have been high on McKinstry and he has a chance to show his versatility this season. Scouts believe McKinstry¡¯s best position is second base, but the utility man has already played second, shortstop, center and right field this spring. He has been a standout in camp. Now it¡¯s up to the Dodgers to make the roster decision.

Starting pitchers (5): , , , ,
The construction of the starting rotation has been the biggest question for the Dodgers this spring. The competition is heating up as pitchers are making their final impressions over the next 10 days.

Bauer, Buehler and Kershaw are locked in to be in the rotation, with Kershaw named as the Opening Day starter. But behind them, things have been interesting. Ur¨ªas has been impressive this spring and is coming off an outing in which he threw four scoreless innings and showed a very good breaking ball. The Dodgers have been waiting to see what he¡¯s capable of as a full-time starter. This season could be his chance.

While Ur¨ªas is trying to lock up one of the spots, Gonsolin, David Price and Dustin May are also making their cases. At one point, it looked as if Price was a lock for the rotation, but the left-hander has talked about how open he is in moving to the bullpen and has sounded like a pitcher that is ready to make the transition. In that case, Price could give the Dodgers a second left-handed pitcher in the bullpen. It would also open the door for Gonsolin or May to open the season in the rotation. Things can change quickly in this competition.

Relievers (8): , , , , , , Dennis Santana,
With the NL rules back in play, the club will likely start the season with eight arms in the bullpen, as opposed to nine. That hasn¡¯t been decided. If May and Price lose out in the starting rotation competition, the two will slot right in as multi-inning relievers in the bullpen.??

The thing to continue to monitor over the next 10 days is the availability of Brusdar Graterol. The right-hander has thrown a handful of bullpen sessions this spring, but a slow buildup over the offseason has Graterol playing catchup. Graterol still hasn¡¯t been in a Cactus League game and time isn't on his side. It¡¯s also very likely that Joe Kelly starts the season on the injured list, opening up a spot on the roster. If both Kelly and Graterol are forced to start the season on the injured list, Santana and Nelson would be the likely replacements. The Dodgers would have to open a 40-man roster spot to make room for Nelson. Moving Tommy Kahnle, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, to the 60-day injured list would be the likely corresponding move.

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com