Dodgers With Most to Prove Down the Stretch

Left-Handed Relievers

If there is a weakness on this team, it’s the lack of reliable left-handed relievers in the bullpen. Luis Avilan, Grant Dayton (if and when he comes back from injury), Tony Watson and Tony Cingrani have much to prove.

They have all looked shaky this season and have ERAs that aren’t pretty, save for Avilan. Dayton owns a 4.94 ERA, Watson a 3.66 ERA and Cingrani’s is 5.88 (yikes). Avilan has a 3.09 ERA but has had multiple shaky outings.

As a Dodger, Watson has pitched three innings and has already allowed three runs. On Wednesday, he faced Jake Lamb with the bases-loaded but surrendered the go-ahead grand slam. This is the type of matchup he was brought in for.

However, Watson has a good track record and should be given the benefit of the doubt for now. Give him some time to settle in. Also remember, relievers have virtually no margin for error so one bad outing can ruin their numbers for a long time.

The Dodgers are going to face the likes of Jake Lamb, Anthony Rizzo, Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy in October, so they need at least one of these guys to be reliable. Thus, one of these pitchers needs to prove he can be a go-to guy for Dave Roberts because not all four of them will make it.

Logan Forsythe

Forsythe is an interesting player. His .240 batting average is low, and his power has all but disappeared. However, he puts in professional at-bats every time by working the count better than anybody in the league, walks a lot (OPB of .368), is good on defense and is a steady veteran presence.

He has had his hot streaks no doubt but offensively has been lackluster for the most part. However, we know how much this front office values on-base percentage, defense and tough at-bats, so Forsythe will probably make it as Chase Utley’s second base platoon partner.

However, if he takes a deep dive statistically, it may be time to reconsider his spot regardless of competition. But, if he takes a dive and someone like Gonzalez or Ethier come back healthy and have a good end to the season, Forsythe may be on the outside looking in.

But at the same time, once nerves start growing, a veteran presence is never a sore sight. And his ability to get on base so consistently may be too hard to overlook.

So as of right now, Logan Forsythe seems to have a safe spot on the roster, but it is far from guaranteed.

Kenta Maeda and Hyun-Jin Ryu

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This is not concerning their struggles, far from it. Both are dealing right now, but that makes for a problem when it comes to choosing who to leave out in October. Hector Ponce delved into the Maeda vs. Ryu battle and explained his reasoning for who should be selected.

Barring any injuries, the Dodgers are expected to go with a Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish, Rich Hill and Alex Wood starting rotation. This means that neither will be in the rotation. However, one of them will at least be put into the bullpen for long relief, and a quality swingman is extremely important in the playoffs.

So both will be battling for this single spot, and this competition seems to be affecting them positively. Just look at their recent results.

However, one thing to keep in mind is if the Dodgers cannot find a strong left-handed reliever, Hyun-Jin Ryu may very well take up the role. That means Kenta Maeda can then take up the swingman role; both will be on the roster and Roberts can take it from there.

But again, that is just speculation. Ultimately though, there is a high chance that one of these guys gets left off, forcing them to consistently one-up each other these last several weeks and prove that they are up to the task.

Next: Ryu vs. Maeda

While standings-wise the Dodgers do not have much to play for, there are still some internal battles that will take place. There are always players who have to prove themselves and these 2017 Dodgers are no exception.